The Secret Garden
by Elizabeth Tipton
Summary: NEW CHAPTERS SOON: The Cullen's have decided to move back to Washington when Alice sees a lovely house in Forks. While beginning to start on renovations, the Cullens meet someone they did not expect. Pre-Twilight (barely) and no Esme (rest are canon pairings) CarlisleXOC RATED M just to be safe when it comes to graphic situations
1. Prologue

**Hello everyone! This is my only posted fanfic at the moment. I have posted before but it's been years and this idea came to me. So I decided to give it a try. Reviews are totally welcome—this is a brand new work in progress so comments and critiques are always welcome. I don't really know where this will go but I did flesh out backstories, timelines for events before when the story begins, and I have a general idea of where it could go. I also might not post too much, it'll honestly depend on if anyone really wants to read more and my creative flow (which is pretty strong right now actually).**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. Also, heads up—the song is called This Kiss by Faith Hill.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **PROLOGUE**

 **~Saturday, May 2nd, 1998: Forks, Washington 8:45 PM**

"Mina, honey, please be careful on your way home," my mother told me firmly. I sighed, twirling the phone cord around as I always liked to do, and smiled softly.

"Mom, it's barely gonna be 9. I'll be just fine," I laughed lightly. "I'm just calling to let you know I'm on my way. You know how it is—it's Saturday night. The perfect time to get last-minute books—and it was all the same regulars, too."

"I know, I know! Just hurry home; everyone else already ate but I saved you a plate of lasagna." I giggled softly, mainly because I could hear my twin whining about wanting the last bit of food.

"Thank, Mom! Keep it away from Milo for me, ok? I'll see ya soon—love ya!" I smiled, hanging up the phone before rushing to get my bag and keys to lock up.

I was heading out to the back of the store where I always park my baby, my 1993 Dodge Dakota. It was a Sweet 16 gift for me and Milo a few years ago and we named him Woody after we saw Toy Story in theaters.

Smiling as I turned the radio on, I began to jam out as my mom and I's favorite song came on. Halfway home and rockin' on to This Kiss, I almost missed the guy waving me down by his car. Once I parked a little ahead of him, I went over to see the problem.

"Sir, are you alright?" I asked.

"Thank you for stopping by. You wouldn't happen to drop me off at a gas station would you? I ran out on the way there," the guy frowned. He was tall, seemed almost my parents' age, but looked frazzled.

"Don't worry about it! It happens to the best of us," I smiled comfortingly.

As I headed to my car, I had no idea how wrong I was to turn my back to him.

* * *

 **A.N. This honestly reminds me of late nights watching Forensic Files. I hate putting my characters in situations like this but it had to be done. .**

 **I know this isn't a lot to go by but this is the prologue. If you think you know where this is going or have any suggestions or comments please let me know. I'll try to update soon while the juices are still flowing!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	2. Chapter 1-1

**Hello everyone! This is my only posted fanfic at the moment. Reviews are totally welcome—this is a brand new work in progress so comments and critiques are always welcome. I don't really know where this will go but I did flesh out backstories, timelines for events before when the story begins, and I have a general idea of where it could go. I also might not post too much, it'll honestly depend on if anyone really wants to read more and my creative flow. I will try for a post a week, though not sure about what day I'll choose since school is coming up.**

 **Thank you Goldielover for reviewing! I do also enjoy Carlisle stories and your review made me push to get this next post out.**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE**

 **~Saturday, May 3rd, 2003: Forks, Washington**

"We love the house," the young father smiled warmly to the realtor. He was much taller than the short older woman at 6'2" but not the tallest of the family. His golden eyes were warm though they really didn't comfort her as she held out the keys to the man.

"A new home is like a fresh start I always like to say," she chattered rather flustered. 'The whole family are like movie stars, maybe they'll make the house a home once more' she thought to herself as she left the house.

Carlisle Cullen gave a soft sigh as he shut the door.

"A fresh start indeed," he mumbled before examining the house once more without the woman hovering every foot or so. The rest of the family had decided to go into town for supplies to renovate the house and he opted out, wanting a bit of peace before work began.

The house on the outside looked like a typical home here in Washington, and he knew his daughters would soon get a hold of it to make the home fashionable. The inside seemed just as homely, though he couldn't help but get a sense that something seemed off in the house. The house itself was fine, but the atmosphere seemed… different. He wasn't sure how but he figured it was just because it wasn't lived in yet.

There were a lot of rooms, the reason he was told was that the previous family had a rather large family and their family had built the house only a few generations ago. 'Still younger than myself' he had smirked at that. His son, Emmett, would have fun tearing down the walls with what his daughter, Alice, had in mind for the renovations. He chuckled softly as he peered into the rooms, each was quite a different colour than the other. One was a dark blue and the next was a fiery engine-red. The room he hovered at though was a soft yellow. It was such an innocent colour though once again he had that strange feeling again.

Discarding the thought once again, he decided to check the basement only to find it full of boxes. The realtor had told him of the basement, but they hadn't checked on it as he had paid for the house quickly before any real touring happened.

Sifting through the first box he found, he saw a variety of stuffed animals and dolls. The next few boxed held quite a large collection of stuffed animals in addition to the first box. Some other boxes held many fairytale books, some classic works, and trinkets of snow globes and fairy figurines. It was in a box with a music box that he found a rather lovely key. It seemed large, golden, and with the end looping into a butterfly shape.

He stuffed the key into his pocket, heading back up to the front door as he heard his children's voices growing nearer.

"I can hardly wait, the house will be perfect!" Alice chirped, the tiny bundle of energy zooming here and there with what she had seen.

"Well, let's get to it then." Carlisle smirked, showing his frozen age as they began to tear up the walls with their bare hands.

* * *

Three days of intense labor and both the interior and exterior were done. Nearly everything had been changed except for the yellow room on the top floor. The room had been made larger and repainted but Carlisle painted it to match the same shade. It had become his bedroom, and he found that the colour really made him feel in a pleasant mood every time he stepped inside. At first, Alice had found it odd he wanted to keep the room nearly as it was, but she, too, eventually came around to the soft colour. His furniture and decorations were either white, black, or grey and it still looked rather nice. The off-coloured carpeting had been switched out in favor of nice wood paneling but a flush white rug centered the room nicely. His large bed was off to the side and with only a few paintings hung up and a bed-side drawer, he kept his room fairly simple.

And the final renovations would be up to himself, as it would be the gardening. He found solace in gardening, one he picked up once Edward had left during his 'rebel' phase. It gave him time to think, to just be in nature in a most simple way.

The house had come with a large facility in the back—a building of glass that had hedges in the interior to limit the visibility to outsiders. The realtor apologized when she couldn't produce the key to the garden, saying that the family must've taken it with them. She had been reluctant to say why, though, and had quickly changed the subject before saying anything else.

Remembering the key he had found earlier, he made his way to the garden with the supplies nearby.

'Here goes nothing' he thought as he slipped the key into the lock. Unsurprisingly, the lock gave way, the door creaking since it had locked for a rather bit of time. What was surprising is what he saw.

A lush garden, filled to the brim with vegetation. The realtor had said that the home had been vacate for a few years already, and yet the plants were well-kept. A whole wall of roses lined the back, lilies surrounding a beautiful fountain. Little fairy statues, much like the ones he found in the boxes in the basement, made little scenes. Daffodils and other flowers littered the ground, but not in a way that seemed stifling. A single peach tree lived in a corner near the pond. A few frogs and some fish lived quite comfortably in the waters, which were as clear as crystal.

"This can't be possible," he whispered in awe at the beauty of the garden. He walked slowly, following the path made with glittering stones—he found coloured-glass and glitter imbedded into the stones—before sitting on a bench near the pond.

It was as he relaxed that he felt that strange feeling again, except it seemed more alive and stronger than before. He knew now that he couldn't disregard the feeling. Something was going on, something that he needed to understand.

The realtor had said that no one had been in the garden for years if it was to assume that the key was supposed to be taken with the family that left years ago. She had also been tight-lipped about what had caused the family that had built the house for future generations to suddenly move away.

He was knocked out of his thoughts by someone tugging on his sleeve.

"Carlisle, are you alright?" his son, Edward, had asked. His face seemed troubled, worried by what his father and friend had been thinking.

"I'm fine, just a lot of things aren't adding up," he sighed, leading Edward and himself out of the garden. "I won't be needing these supplies as soon as I expected to," he noted aloud, putting them up in the shed outside the garden.

It wouldn't be until later that he would realize that Edward was at the door when he had felt the tugging on his sleeve.

* * *

 **A.N. Not nearly as long as I'd like but I really struggled with where I wanted to start this. A lot of my ideas are certain future moments and the beginning are always a bit of a toss for me (the prologue was a bit cheatsy-doodles since it was an event I had to plan out). *edit: how could I forget to change 2nd to 3rd?!-it was 3nd when I posted -_-**

 **Once again, not too much to go by—it is a lot of filler fluff and stuff. If you think you know where this is going or have any suggestions or comments please let me know. I'll try to update soon or in the passing week.**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	3. Chapter 1-2

**Hello everyone! This is my only posted fanfic at the moment. Reviews are totally welcome—this is a brand new work in progress so comments and critiques are always welcome. I don't really know where this will go but I did flesh out backstories, timelines for events before when the story begins, and I have a general idea of where it could go. I also might not post too much, it'll honestly depend on if anyone really wants to read more and my creative flow. I will try for a post a week, though not sure about what day I'll choose since school is coming up.**

 **Thank you Goldielover, The Girl Who Cried Werewolf, and guest for reviewing! And thank you so much for the favorites and follows (I'm not sure if you want me to post a shout-out to y'all but I can if you'd like). I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. I got too excited and typed this up not long after I posted the first chapter and it would've been posted but the internet was down at the time.**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO**

 **~Wednesday, May 7th, 2003: Forks, Washington**

The next day began their introduction to Forks. The girls and guys went to spend the day in town while Carlisle suited up for his first day at the hospital. As he got in his car, he felt that strange feeling once more before backing up and heading to work.

He made a mental note to add 'call the realtor about the garden' to his schedule before getting too busy.

The hospital staff was small, though extremely friendly, and he internally sighed as he noticed all the women (and a few men) getting rather dazzled by his presence. After a few introductions, he noticed that some of the nurses were wearing a soft yellow colour in some form or fashion in addition to their scrubs. As he and a nurse left a patient to fill out a prescription, he decided to ask the nurse about the colour.

"Oh, well, I'm surprised you caught that," she stammered, though not in an embarrassed way. More of an unsure way. "My best friend's 5th anniversary is today. Her favorite colour was this soft yellow and she was much like the colour itself: gentle and inviting. She wasn't a nurse but a lot of us here are her friends. We're going to visit her after work."

That certainly wasn't the response he was expecting. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I apologize if I've upset you in bringing it up," he amended, noticing her somber demeanor.

"It's alright, Dr. Cullen, you didn't know. And it was bound to come up sometime with how many people are going today," she answered hurriedly before leaving to drop off some paperwork.

It made him wonder about this girl that seemed a friend to quite a few people. It hadn't escaped his eye that they wore the same shade of yellow of his walls from their new house. But they couldn't be the same person, could they? He wasn't so sure to doubt so quickly.

Nothing new came up about the nurses' friend and the day passed by rather slowly. It wasn't until his lunch break that he decided to make the call.

"Mrs. Stone, I was wondering if you had time for a few questions," Carlisle asked gently.

"Of course, Mr. Cullen. Is anything the matter?"

"I found the key to the garden," he decided to start off. "You mentioned that the previous family most likely had taken it, but I found it in a box in the basement. When I opened the garden I was astonished to find it completely taken care of, well-kept and practically spotless."

"That is strange. No one had been in there for years that I know of. The family moved away shortly after…" The call went quiet and Carlisle would've thought she hung up if he couldn't hear her breathing.

"After what, Mrs. Stone?"

"I… well, I didn't want to bring it up. But today being the day it is, you're sure to find out eventually. The family's daughter, her father a good friend of mine since we were in diapers, was murdered. She never came home one night and… and… today five years ago they found her body in the woods," she said softly, seeming to choke back tears. "She was so kind, little Mina. She was so delicate like a flower, but she could be as fierce as a lion for her friends and family. She was so young, only 18. That garden was her pride and joy." It was then that she really began to cry. "I'm sorry for blubbering, she was such a dear friend. Her folks moved away because that house reminded them too much of her. They left me in charge of the house; they couldn't bear to be there much longer than necessary. They're coming by today, like they do on all holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries. If you want her stuff gone, I can help set up something—"

"It's alright, Mrs. Stone. If they left it in the basement I'm sure it was for good reason," he quickly soothed her worries. "They are always welcome to stop by though and pick up her things. I'm sorry for your loss."

"I'll let them know, thought knowing them they might just visit the garden since you've found the key."

"Alright, I'll let you get back to your day then," he offered gently. With their final goodbye's, Carlisle was left to absorb all that he had learned.

A girl, Mina, whose room was most likely his now, was murdered at 18. It was her garden that he unlocked and it was the fifth anniversary since her death. It possibly explained the somber atmosphere that had first covered the home, but it didn't explain how her garden was still thriving and well-kept.

He sighed, pushing back in his chair before noticing his lunch break almost up.

* * *

As he parked in the garage after work, he was almost expecting something to be happening. But everything seemed fine: Edward was listening to some of his music in his room, Rosalie greeted him as she was fine-tuning her red convertible, and Jasper and Emmett were playing some video game in the living room while Alice was sketching away while relaxing on the couch. He merely smiled as salutations before retreating to his room, collapsing onto his bed with a sigh.

Covering his eyes with his arm, his mind swirled with all the information about their house and its previous residents. Feeling a tugging on his arm, he sighed before freezing in shock. A beautiful girl was looking at him rather curiously.

She was beautiful in a human way: freckles dotted her cheeks and over her nose, her small full lips curled downward into a thoughtful pout, but it was her eyes that entranced him. They were large and wide framed by long dark lashes, almost like a doe caught in headlights, but they lacked any colour aside from a ring of black to distinguish her iris.

"Hello. Who are you?" she asked, her voice soft and wispy, almost as if it were the wind. There was a beat of silence, him still taking in her presence before remembering that she had asked him a question.

"Oh, uh, I'm Carlisle Cullen," he stuttered. 'What the hell? I never stutter' he chastised himself. Collecting himself at those thoughts, he asked with a little more confidence, "And who might you be?"

"I'm Mina, and you're kinda in my room," she frowned. "Or at least, it used to be my room…" Her face, round and a pale grey, grew somber at the thought. Feeling a strange sense of urgency at the lack of a smile, he quickly tried to think of something to say.

"I kept it mostly similar. I felt that I should keep it the way it was, at least with the colour. The colour is rather pleasant," he rushed.

"It is rather nice," she smiled softly. Standing from her kneeling position, she began to inspect the room more. "Did you like my garden?" she suddenly asked. Her whole demeanor changed, she almost seemed to glow in expectation of his answer. It was then that he noticed that she was hovering slightly, not in an overly drastic way but in a way that gave her no limitations of movement. She almost reminded him of a fairy.

"You… you're floating?!" he gasped, rising from the bed to examine her more closely. She leaned back, but tucked her legs in as if she were sitting down while still floating.

"I am kinda a ghost," she giggled. That made him shut his mouth.

"A ghost?" He put the pieces together in his head before asking cautiously, "Why are you here?"

"Well, like I said earlier, it is kinda my room. But to your more existential take at the question, I'm not too sure about why I'm still here. I remember being scared and it was so bright that I was afraid to move. And then I thought about me being late so I ran home. Only it's easy to get lost in the ghostie world. But I'm back! But I couldn't find my family. Could you help me?" Her doe-like eyes giving him an almost puppy-dog look.

"I, uh, your family moved away after you… died. They're here in town but at your grave I think," he added gently.

"They… they moved?! But this is home! How could they leave me here?!" she freaked, backing into the wall with teary eyes before seeming to flicker. Running out of the room, he made to follow her into the hallway when he realized that she vanished.

* * *

 **A.N. About the length I'd like but I am sorry if you wanted a bigger surprise or for me to have held out longer before bringing in Mina. I love her character too much though and I really wanted to begin her story.**

 **If you think you know where this is going or have any suggestions or comments please let me know. I'll try to update soon or in the passing week.**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	4. Chapter 1-3

**Hello everyone! This is my only posted fanfic at the moment. Reviews are totally welcome—this is a brand new work in progress so comments and critiques are always welcome. I don't really know where this will go but I did flesh out backstories, timelines for events before when the story begins, and I have a general idea of where it could go. I also might not post too much, it'll honestly depend on if anyone really wants to read more and my creative flow. I will try for a post a week, though not sure about what day I'll choose since school is coming up.**

 **Thank you once again Goldielover reviewing! And thank you so much for the favorites and follows (I'm not sure if you want me to post a shout-out to y'all but I can if you'd like). I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. I guess Mondays or Tuesdays should be the days to look for new updates.**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER THREE**

Trying to run to the garden where he hoped she'd be, Edward intercepted Carlisle on the stairs.

"Carlisle, what's wrong? Where are you going?" he asked, grasping Carlisle's arms.

"You didn't hear us?" Carlisle asked shocked. He thought they were being quite loud.

"Us? Who was with you?" he asked, quite alarmed by this turn of events.

"I… um, I need to get to the garden," he mumbled, rushing to find the garden's door open.

Quietly opening the door, he frowned when he saw no one inside. "Mina? Mina, are you here?"

Her frame flickered for a moment by the peach tree before solidifying completely. "Here I am," she whispered softly. Frowning, he rushed to her side.

"Are you alright Mina?" he frowned, taking her tiny hands in his larger ones.

"I'm… I'm afraid Carlisle. What will happen to me now? I can't really go anywhere, and I don't know how to pass on or whatever I'm supposed to do," she teared up, her body shivering with sadness. Sitting next to her and pulling her into a comforting embrace that seemed natural to himself, he held her gently and ran his hand through her hair.

"Mina, I'm here for you. I'm not sure how or why all this is happening but I promise you that I am here for you and you won't lose me," he whispered gently to her. She stopped shivering and gave in to his comfort.

"So I can stay here with you?" she asked, finally daring to look into his golden eyes.

Seeing her so vulnerable, so innocent like a child, he couldn't help but smile to her. "Of course you can. I mean, you _did_ live here before us," he teased gently. Giggling softly, she accepted his hand when he rose. "So would introductions be in order for the rest of my family? I'm not sure how, but they didn't hear us earlier."

"Oh that would be my fault. I was a little shy and made it so no one could hear us," she giggled a bit shyly. That one stunned Carlisle.

"Oh," was all he could say as she dragged him inside the house, now quite excited to meet his family.

"I must admit your family is quite cool, though I'm still not a hundred percent sure as to what y'all are," she chirped before they made it to the living room where everyone was present.

Edward was the first to rise.

"Carlisle, is there a reason you wish to see us. Alice mentioned us meeting a girl but she wouldn't show anything else."

"Oh, of course," he murmured before lightly pushing Mina to the front. "Everyone, this is Mina. She used to live here and she is welcome to stay indefinitely," he added, not quite sure what to say. Suddenly, everyone jumped back in shock, making him smirk slightly in amusement and assume they could see her now.

"Hi, I'm Mina, as Carlisle already said," she smiled, a dark grey blush scattering across her cheeks. Finally decided to analyze her further, he took in what his family must be seeing.

She was a tiny little thing, only slightly taller than Alice but still quite petite. She had a slight hourglass figure but her face still retained its soft roundedness of childhood. Her dark black scruffy curls reached only slightly passed her shoulders. She slightly tugged on a dark grey and white dress while her feet shuffled slightly in dark ballet flats in nervousness. Her large doe-like eyes darting around to everyone curiously and anxiously to see what they thought of her.

"I love your sense of style," Alice smiled warmly. "Thought why grey?"

"I honestly don't know. I died in these clothes and every bit of me just sort of washed out of colour?" Mina thought aloud, not really sure what to say.

"Died?!" Alice shrieked alarmed.

"Oh, yeah. I'm a ghost," she blushed, rubbing her arm anxiously as a silence began to coat the room.

"A ghost?" Rosalie frowned, not sure how to take the information.

"I can tell you what I remember. My memory isn't all back yet it seems. I remember most things, but some stuff got lost when I died, I think," she added.

"Well, if you're alright with it," Jasper stepped forward. He liked that he could be around this girl, for all he could sense from her were her genuine emotions, which were quite pleasant.

"Ok," she agreed, deciding to sit next to Carlisle before beginning her story.

"It wasn't much of a death, I suppose. Nothing out of the ordinary about that day. I worked at the little bookshop in town, The Teddy Nook. Adorable name, I even wore a cute little apron because it had a small coffee shop inside it as well.

"I was just heading home, jamming out to some music, when I noticed a guy waving me down. He said he'd run out of gas and he needed a ride. Me being me, I didn't think anything of it… until he grabbed me as I went to my car.

"I struggled as much as I could but he was just so… big… compared to me. I do remember giving him a bloody nose and I kicked him where the sun don't shine so I could make a break for it. But, he shot me in my leg…" she trailed off, almost in a daze.

"He was coming closer and closer to me… I couldn't walk because the pain was unlike anything I'd ever felt before. He took a good look at me before leveling the gun between my eyes. I… I begged him to let me go. I wanted to see my family again. I just wanted to see my family again.

"I asked him why he was doing this. He seemed angry about something. But I never found out why as he shot me.

"And then I was wondering. I'm not quite sure where I was, but I was alone. It was so bright at first that I was scared and I wanted to go home. Then the light dimmed and I began to walk. Once I got closer to Forks, I knew where to go so I came home… to find you guys here," she finished. "Carlisle told me my family has moved away, so he said I could stay here as I figure things out."

The family was silent for a moment, before Rosalie and Alice shot up to hug Mina. She hadn't even realized that she had been crying before Rosalie wiped them away with her thumbs.

"Of course you're welcome here," Rosalie said soothingly. "We can be your family now."

Mina's teary face brightened before hugging Rosalie tightly. Just as Carlisle had earlier, Rosalie soothingly ran her hands down her hair before Mina pulled away. Rubbing her eyes, she yawned before blushing a bit.

"So… where do I stay? Everyone else's rooms are taken," she asked.

"Oh, you can stay in my room," Carlisle rushed. "I don't sleep anyways so the bed can be all yours," he added.

"Why don't you sleep?" she asked worriedly. This got the Cullens to look at each other.

"Well, I don't sleep because I'm a vampire," he added, deciding to just go with honesty.

"A vampire?!" she gasped, looking to the family for a moment before giggling softly. "So that's why y'all seemed so strange. Super fast, strange coloured eyes—all that jazz!"

"You're taking this better than usual," Edward commented.

"I _am_ a ghost, you guys. How much stranger could it get?" she giggled.

"There are werewolves," Emmett, the burliest, decided to chime in for once.

"Well, you got me there," she laughed after a moment's pause.

"So I guess since you don't sleep you don't need any coffins, but how are you able to be outside in the daylight? Won't you get hurt?"

"We are tougher than superstition," Jasper commented. "Something else happens but we don't burn."

"So what does happen?"

"I'll show you sometime," Carlisle promised. "Right now it is time for someone to get some rest," he chided, leading her up the stairs.

"Aww, you're no fun. Good night guys!" she chimed before heading to Carlisle's room.

"Goodnight Mina!" everyone smiled at her protesting figure.

Once upstairs and in her room, she turned to Carlisle and blushed.

"You wouldn't happen to have anything I could sleep in, would you?"

Smiling softly, he went through his drawers until he found some dark blue silk pajamas.

"We do have to keep appearances," he chuckled, leaving the room so she could change. Once he heard her vocalize being done, he returned to find her in bed.

"The pants were way to big and I couldn't roll them up without it being uncomfortable," she blushed, her lower half already tucked in. He smiled gently as she laid down. Tucking her in, she blushed when he kissed her forehead softly.

"Good night, little Mina," he whispered, turning off the lights before heading downstairs.

"Good night," she mumbled, fading into invisibility as she dozed off into the night.

* * *

 **A.N. So now the Cullens know about Mina. Things should only get more interesting as we continue. I do hope to continue as far along as I'd like, seeing as this is only a few years before Bella comes into their lives. I want to explore the new family dynamic before going on to Twilight so we shall see.**

 **If you think you know where this is going or have any suggestions or comments please let me know. I'll try to update soon or in the passing week.**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	5. Chapter 1-4

**Hello everyone! This is my only posted fanfic at the moment. Reviews are totally welcome—this is a brand new work in progress so comments and critiques are always welcome. I don't really know where this will go but I did flesh out backstories, timelines for events before when the story begins, and I have a general idea of where it could go. I also might not post too much, it'll honestly depend on if anyone really wants to read more and my creative flow. I will try for a post a week, though not sure about what day I'll choose since school is coming up.**

 **Thank you once again Goldielover reviewing! And thank you so much for the favorites and follows (I'm not sure if you want me to post a shout-out to y'all but I can if you'd like). I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. I like posting on Mondays, though I'm sorry I didn't update as early as I liked—I got sick this weekend and this chapter is more a filler than anything else.**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FOUR**

 **~Thursday, May 8th, 2003: Forks, Washington**

It was early that morning, around 7:30, when Mina came down the stairs dressed in her outfit from yesterday.

"Good morning," she smiled to the group lounging around in the living room.

"Good morning, short stuff," Emmett boomed, liking the little ghost already.

"Where is Carlisle?" she asked, noticing that he was the only Cullen not present.

"He's at work," Edward confirmed with a slight smile. "By the way, I do have some ghostly questions for you, if you can answer them. I am a bit curious about that after all."

"No trouble at all," she shrugged, making herself comfortable on the couch. She then found herself surrounded by more Cullens.

"First things first—why did you sleep?" Alice asked, rather curious.

"Oh, well, I learned very early on that my abilities aren't as strong when I don't rest to recollect energy. So sleeping basically charges me back up. It's more like I can finally stop using energy to be seen and stuff, and more powerful abilities really make me tired. Seeing as how I hope to be around much longer, I need to sleep at least once a day. Before I only needed sleep every few days since my natural form isn't visible or tangible."

"What abilities do you have?"

"Well, aside from being able to choose how much you see or hear from me, I can possess objects (although I haven't tried that one too much, it's really weird), hover, phase through walls, make a shield, go invisible and intangible, and I have more strength, speed, and agility than when I was alive."

"Whoa, you're like a super hero with all those powers!" Emmett shouted, awed like a little kid in a candy store.

"Yeah, although like I said, I'd get really tired using them all at once."

"Have you met other ghosts?" Rosalie asked quietly.

"Well, I did meet this one kid before they crossed over. That's how I knew that crossing over was sort of a thing. She was in this one town I came across and was wondering near a hospital. She told me she was scared and I hugged her and told her that it was ok to be afraid but that she could be stronger than that fear. I think her fear was what kept her here because once she relaxed, a light came and she disappeared into the light. I haven't tried to cross over because I was waiting for my family, but not I'm not too sure," she frowned. She had expected her family to be here. They'd lived here forever and it never occurred to her that they would move, and so soon at that.

"Well, we can help you if you want!" Alice beamed.

"That is very kind of you, but… I'm not sure I want to leave just yet," Mina smiled gently.

"Why wouldn't you?" Jasper asked.

"Well, y'all are so nice and friendly. And I was very lonely on the way back here. It took me a bit to get here and I've already been here a while, though I'm not sure how long. And aside from the little girl, I haven't met anyone since Carlisle the other day. I was so curious about y'all when you first moved in, but I had forgotten how to be around people and I was really shy."

"So you were the one taking care of the garden?" Rosalie asked.

"Yup, I've always loved gardening! And my dad and grandpa built it a long time ago before I was born. My dad also loved to garden and he helped me make it what it is today. My first steps, my first words, all of my memories happened in that garden."

"Aww, that's so sweet," Alice cooed. "It does look rather magical!"

"Thanks, I've practically spent my whole like in that garden," she smiled widely.

"Well, I think that covers all that I'm curious about now. Do you have any questions for us?" Edward smiled.

"Well, what do y'all like to do?"

"I love fashion!" Alice chirped.

"I love to work in my garage," Rosalie smiled gently.

"I play my guitar when I'm not reading," Jasper added.

"I love sports and games," Emmett boomed excitedly.

"And I love music," Edward finished.

"Well, I love a little bit of all those things so it should be great!" Mina beamed, happy to be amongst a family again.

And this is how Mina would spend the upcoming months. She would help sketch ideas with Alice, hang out with Rosalie whenever she was tuning up one of the cars and have long talks about their pasts. Jasper would recommend books to Mina and play music to her when he felt like it. Emmett and Mina would challenge each other to games, although sports was a bit out of the question since the ball would phase through her most of the time. And Edward became like an older brother to her, filling in the void with long debates about life, death, and music. But Carlisle became her most treasured friend.

When he came home, Mina seemed to glow and the rest of the Cullens quickly learned of the crush Mina held for the good doctor. It also didn't escape his family's notice that he seemed happier around her, not as old. He seemed to be a young man around her, not the 30-something-year-old he pretended to be for proprieties sake. Not that either of them noticed the feelings they seemed to harbor towards another. The Cullens didn't mention it, for they figured a ghost and a vampire couldn't be, not when the aforementioned ghost could pass on at any moment.

Things seemed to be settling down for the most part. That is, until the Cullens would begin their time at Forks High.

* * *

 **A.N. This is definitely a filler chapter considering I didn't have too much time to be on the computer while being sick. I really did want to post something though, so I hope this chapter answers some of your questions about Mina, though I'm assuming that you know a bit about the Cullens already. I'm planning on adding more character dynamics in the next chapters, so please don't be too disappointed!**

 **If you think you know where this is going or have any suggestions or comments please let me know in a private message or review! I'll try to update soon or in the passing week.**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	6. Chapter 1-5A

**Hello everyone! This is my only posted fanfic at the moment. Reviews are totally welcome—this is a brand new work in progress so comments and critiques are always welcome. I don't really know where this will go but I did flesh out backstories, timelines for events before when the story begins, and I have a general idea of where it could go. I am posting late because school started and I'm prepping to teach my own classes.**

 **Thank you so much for the favorites and follows (I'm not sure if you want me to post a shout-out to y'all but I can if you'd like). I would've written more but this is all I have at the moment. The next post will be longer as it will be the outcome!**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIVE A**

 **~Monday, August 18th, 2003: Forks, Washington**

"FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!" Mina yelled, floating through all the halls early Monday morning. "WAKE UP, WAKE UP! C'MON, FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!"

"I don't want to go to school. Five more minutes," Emmett pouted teasingly.

"This is what happens when Mina convinces us to get a ripped copy of Finding Nemo," Edward sighed teasingly.

"GET UP, GET UP! IT'S TIME FOR SCHOOL! IT'S TIME FOR SCHOOL!" she continued, deciding to ignore Edward. "IT'S TIME FOR SCHOOL! OH BOY! OH BOY!"

Carlisle just smiled, fiddling with his tie as he watched the scene with amusement. Mina was practically glowing and she zoomed through the house.

"So Mina, what are you going to be doing while we're gone?" Jasper asked.

"Oh, I'll probably take a nap to charge up. No use in using up energy when no one is here," she frowned slightly. "I'll miss y'all," she pouted, gathering them up in a group hug.

"We'll miss you, too, squirt. But we'll be back before you know it," Rosalie soothed.

Mina watched as her new family left. This was the first time in a long time she had been alone.

'I can do this, it's no problem' she thought as she hugged herself. 'But I don't really feel tired.'

Sighing, she decided to head off to her garden. Ever since Carlisle started helping her out, her garden seemed to be even more spectacular. Thinking of Carlisle made her flush. He was so gentle and kind, she never knew a man could be that way. 'Then again, he wasn't an ordinary man' she giggled.

'But what made him different from other guys? I'd never paid much attention to guys before' she frowned. He was always there when she wanted to talk or hang out. He was so smart and was always so patient with her questions. 'Ah, I'll just ask him!' she smiled, the thought hadn't occurred to her before.

Taking a nap under the peach tree, she faded away—not knowing that at school, a certain pixie smiled brightly at the new future.

* * *

 **A.N. I'm sorry once again that it's so short, but Chapter Five B will be up soon.**

 **If you think you know where this is going or have any suggestions or comments please let me know in a private message or review! Reviews or messages do help inspire me to write quite a bit.**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	7. Chapter 1-5B

**Thank you so much for the favorites and follows (I'm not sure if you want me to post a shout-out to y'all but I can if you'd like).**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIVE B**

Mina woke to Carlisle tending to some of the roses in the garden.

"Oh! You're back already?!"

Carlisle turned to her, confused as he answered, "It's already the evening, Mina."

Mina's cheeks darkened as she felt more aware of Carlisle's eyes on her. "Oh, I must've lost track of time." She decided that her question seemed embarrassing and looked away from his scrutinizing eyes, afraid she would cave under their power.

"Mina, is something the matter?" he asked, taking a good look at her form. She wouldn't meet his eyes, which was a rarity, and her cheeks seemed darker than usual. "I'm always here for you if you ever have any questions."

"I know that," she flushed darker. "That's what I'm wondering about actually." Silence prompted her to look at Carlisle, and noting his confusion she decided to just let it out. "I'm just confused. With everyone else, they seem like family to me already—like more brothers and sisters. And I feel something strongly for you, I'm just not sure what."

After a beat of silence, Carlisle hesitantly urged her to continue. "Can you describe what you feel?"

"Well, I feel like I'm bursting I'm so happy when you're around. I'm happy with the others, but it's just more happy for some reason. And my thoughts get jumbled around you. The whole air seems charges and golden. And I can talk to you for anything. I don't feel scared about anything. I'm safe with you."

Carlisle didn't say anything, just quietly sat next to her spot under the tree. Taking a hand in his own, he ran his thumb softly over it as he looked into her eyes. Unbeknownst to her, he was searching for her sincerity. He didn't want to give himself false hope that she was talking about love.

"May I?" he asked softly, almost too softly, as he raised his hand to her cheek.

"Always," she whispered just as softly. Not quite sure what he was talking about, but she trusted him completely and wholly.

Leaning forward, sliding the hand holding hers up to her waist, he drew Mina close to his body. Mina's hands slid up his arms and rested her head on his shoulder. Smiling softly, he lowered his head to hers and they held each other. A feeling of completeness and contentment filled them as they embraced. With no other words, they were simply there. There was no time, no worries, just two souls who finally locked on what they'd been searching for.

* * *

 **A.N. I really loved my character and ideas on how to take this story. But if I'm honest, it is hard to write a love story after struggling with love for so long. If you really do express enthusiasm towards the story, I would consider continuing the story.**

 **Reviews and comments are always welcome. I'm honestly not sure when I'll update next, if I will at all. I guess I should say this is on hiatus but I'm not putting it off indefinitely—this past week has just been a little rougher. Maybe expect something a little more in a week or two.**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	8. Chapter 1-6

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for waiting patiently for this next update. I'm not 100 % out of this funk I'm in but I didn't want to wait until then, whenever that would be, to continue. I will be resuming the schedule of posting between Monday and Tuesday.**

 **Thank you Goldielover and natsumi456 for reviewing and helping me push on to continue! Also, thank you so much for all the favorites and follows (I'm not sure if you want me to post a shout-out to y'all but I can if you'd like).**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. Also the song is Bing Crosby and Doris Day's Baby it's Cold Outside, a song my sister sang for a Christmas concert a few years back and is a personal favorite.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER SIX**

 **~Wednesday, December 24th, 2003: Forks, Washington**

The rest of the year passed on. Mina being incredibly naïve and Carlisle being the gentleman never went further than a deep embrace like the one under the peach tree. Most of the Cullens were a bit hesitant about the relationship, but who were they to stop two people in love? Mina seemed to ignore the need or curiosity to cross over and Carlisle seemed to steer clear of those kinds of topics, though he never withheld any information from Mina. His devotion to her was incredibly strong and blossoming.

Carlisle was reading in his study early Christmas Eve when someone knocked on his door.

"Come on," he called out, knowing who it was already.

The door didn't open, though a cute little ghost stuck her head through the door anyways.

"Good morning, hun," she beamed before fully phasing through the door. Carlisle chuckled lightly at her antics. She just loved being able to pop up randomly through the walls and doors. One time she'd given Emmett a good fright so much that he jumped through the wall next to him. Carlisle was no impressed with either, but at least Mina could win him over with a puppy-dog-pout.

"Good morning, darling," he smiled, placing his book down as she floated to his desk.

"Today is a special day!" she twirled excitedly.

"Hmm, and what day is that?" he teased.

"IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE!" she beamed, tackling him from the air in excitement. Although she hadn't realized that she wasn't solid and went right through him and out the wall. "Oopsies," she giggled, poking her head back into the wall behind Carlisle. He only shook his head before holding out a hand to her. Blushing a dark grey, she accepting his hand before he led her out of his study.

"I have a little surprise for us," he smiled gently.

"Really? What kind of surprise?" she asked.

"If I told you what it was, it wouldn't be a surprise," he chuckled, ruffling her hair a bit before she smacked his hands away playfully.

"Alright," she pouted, "but will be still be here to do presents later?"

"Of course," he smiled. "We won't miss a thing."

It was at this time that Alice and Rosalie bounded into the room.

"Mina, we're going to help you get ready for the surprise!" Alice beamed, even more excited than Mina was before.

"Get ready?" she asked, tilting her head confused.

"We've got our own surprise for you, except you get to see it when you come with us," Alice teased.

Looking to Carlisle for confirmation, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek good-bye before leaving with the girls.

"Aww you're so cute," Alice giggled, dragging Mina by the hand to her room. "Now put this on and then meet us in my bathroom!"

Mina only nodded, extremely curious, before stripping and putting on the silky black robe. Seeing the girls in the bathroom next to a chair, Mina began to get an idea of what they were planning.

"We're not going to do much, seeing as Rosalie is reining me in. But we are going to style your hair," Alice smiled, mock-glaring at Rosalie who simply ignored the heat.

Mina nodded, taking a seat before patiently waiting out the next few hours. While Alice added some mascara and a bit of gloss to her lips, Rosalie set to work on doing her hair. First she straightened her hair until it fell down to her mid-back, then she pulled it into a half-up-half-down do before curling the ends. Placing a rose where her hair was tied, she began to help Alice with painting her nails a gradient look between white to gold at the tips. Once that was done, they helped Mina into a pure white dress that made her look like an ancient goddess: it was simple, draped and flowed, though it ended a little above her knees. After slipping on some short golden doll heels, the girls towed her to the downstairs.

Carlisle waited at the bottom, dressed in a nice grey suit with a golden tie. He couldn't take his eyes off of her as she gracefully made her way down the steps.

Leading her to their garden, he asked her to close her eyes before leading her into the building. When he removed the blindfold, she was surprised to see the garden transformed into a winter wonderland. All the plants looked covered in snow, though it was easy to see the icy semi-transparent tarps that protecting them. Crystal snowflakes hung from the ceiling and a crystal chandelier was at the center of it all, hanging delicately over a small dance floor.

Playing in the background was Bing Crosby and Doris Day singing "Baby, it's Cold Outside," one of Mina's absolute favorite songs. Getting into the swing of the song, Carlisle leading, Mina couldn't help but start to sing.

"I really can't stay," she sang playfully.

 _"_ _Baby it's cold outside,"_ Carlisle joined, his voice magnificent and deep without having to be loud. Mina got almost blindsided by his voice before she got caught up in the song.

"I've got to go away."

 _"_ _Baby it's cold outside."_

"This evening has been…"

 _"_ _Been hoping that you'd drop in."_

"… So very nice."

 _"_ _I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice."_ At that, she giggled.

"I ought to say no, no, no, sir."

 _"_ _Mind if I move in closer,"_ he sang, pulling her in.

"At least I'm gonna say that I tried," she blushed, but didn't resist.

 _"_ _What's the sense in hurting my pride?"_

"I really can't stay."

 _"_ _Baby don't hold out."_

"Oh, but it's cold outside," they finished together, looking into each other's eyes.

Time seemed to stand still as they drew each other close. Gently cupping her cheek, he leaned in slowly. Mina's eyes fluttered before shutting, wanting to just feel the moment. It seemed like eternity before their lips met.

Something awoke in both of them as their lips met. It wasn't a hungry, lustful kiss. It was full of energy, but it was still gentle and sweet. It was no longer than a moment before the two pulled away. Blushing deeply, Mina looked down before he drew her chin up with a finger.

"Please don't ever look away," he whispered. Blushing darker, she nodded quickly, her curls bouncing.

"That was my first kiss," she smiled softly. Carlisle breathed in deeply, astounded by the gift he had taken. "It is the best gift you could have given me," she blushed, looking deeply into his eyes. Smiling gently, he kissed right beside her mouth before bowing low and holding out a hand.

"May we?" he asked as another song came on, a playful smirk on his lips that made her weak at the knees.

"We may," she smiled, letting him lead her into another dance.

By the time they finished dancing, it was late into the evening. Mina was so tired she was beginning to phase in and out of visibility.

"Go rest, darling. I'll be beside you in the morning," he smiled, leading her to their room. Nodding tiredly, she wiped off the makeup and changed into his dark blue silk pajamas (her favorites). She barely made it to bed before disappearing from view.

* * *

 **A.N. Although I'm not completely better yet, writing always has helped me get some of my ideas out from my head. You guys really do make me want to push myself into posting faster. I want to get into Twilight's timeline soon so these will be fillers for certain moments in their lives. I want to flesh out their relationships a little more before starting Twilight.**

 **Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works.**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	9. Chapter 1-7

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic.** **I update between Monday at 8 AM to Tuesday at 11 PM CT every week at the latest.**

 **Thank you FreeSpiritSeeker for reviewing! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing. Also, thank you so much for all the favorites and follows (I'm not sure if you want me to post a shout-out to y'all but I can if you'd like).**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. Also the song is Can't Help Falling in Love from the Book of Life animated movie (though I worked it for the correct timeline).**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER SEVEN**

 **~Thursday, December 25th, 2003: Forks, Washington**

Waking up, Mina found herself full of energy. Smiling, she rolled over to find Carlisle sitting on the bed next to her with a book. Finding her visible again, he shut his book smiling down at her.

"Good morning, darling," he smiled, kissing her forehead. Sighing, she snuggled into his side under the covers.

"Good morning," she smiled, resting her head in his lap. Playing with her hair gently, they spent a moment of the morning just being in each other's presence.

"Darling, are you forgetting something?" he smirked, wondering when it would hit her what day it was.

"Forgetting what?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe forgetting what day it is?" he teased. Mina only blinked at him owlishly for a moment before shooting out of bed.

"IT'S CHRISTMAS! IT'S CHRISTMAS! IT'S CHRISTMAS!" she screamed, bouncing and glowing as she tugged on Carlisle's hand. Laughing, he let Mina lead him down the stairs to where the rest of the family was congregated.

"Merry Christmas!" they welcomed, all donned in variations of Christmas pajamas. Rosalie and Emmett sat on the love seat together, Edward smiled as he sat on the couch's arm, and Alice and Jasper had some seats on the couch.

"Merry Christmas," Mina beamed, a little sad because of missing her birth family. Carlisle, noticing her mood, immediately started the group to pass out presents. Everyone had gone all out for this year's Christmas, even the group helping Mina get the supplies she needed to make everyone's gifts.

From Rosalie and Emmett, they got her a giant stuffed bear that smelled like Carlisle (courtesy of Emmett scenting it with his cologne). Alice gave her a beautiful dress she designed just for her while Jasper gave her some new books. Edward gave her some mixed CDs of some newer music to catch up on. Carlisle gave her a lovely silver locket with the Cullen crest on it. With teary thanks, she handed out her gifts.

For Rosalie, she had crafted a beautiful white ceramic vase with sparkling coloured glass making a rose pattern on one side. She had placed some of her most beautiful roses in it. For Emmett, she had made several sports ball pots out of ceramic (a football, soccer ball, baseball, and basketball) with some daisies in them. Although he'd never admit it to anyone besides Mina, daisies always reminded him of his human sister making flower crowns for him so they always were a treasure for him to see. For Alice, she crafted a flower pot to look like a sleek purse with lilies growing out of it. For Jasper, she made a life-sized pair of boots out of ceramic and put carnations in them. And for Edward, she made a small piano that had the top open to reveal freesias. And for Carlisle, she made a vase that had the Cullen crest on it and placed some Lily of the Valleys. She had also decided to sing him a song of her love for him.

Jasper began a soft rift on his guitar before prompting the shy Mina to sing.

" _Wise men say only fools rush in. But I can't help falling in love with you. Shall I say 'would it be a sin if I can't help falling in love with you?' Like a river flows to the sea, so it goes, some things are meant to be_." Mina's voice was soft, sweet, and delicate as she sang to Carlisle. " _Take my hand; take my whole life too. For I can't help falling in love with you._ " Carlisle walked close to her, Mina never taking her eyes away from his as she sang the last line. " _I can't help falling in love with you."_

The rest of the Cullens seemed to have disappeared, giving the two a moment together.

"This song is from 'Lilo & Stitch' but I got Jasper to help me make it more acoustic," Mina began, blushing under Carlisle's intense eyes. "I, well, I fell in love with the song and I felt that it matched us, our situation, and I've never sang for anyone before—," she ranted, cut off by Carlisle's lips. Dazed from the passion of the kiss, Mina blinked owlishly while Carlisle smirked.

"I love you, too, my darling Mina," he confessed softly. "And you have a lovely voice. I was entranced," he smiled, twirling her around in an embrace. Blushing even deeper, the tugged on her hair nervously before nodding. Laughing, Carlisle ruffled her hair before helping her take her gifts to their room.

Once they returned to the living room, the rest of the day was spent spending time together as a family. They had a snowball fight, made snowmen and snow angels, sang Christmas carols, and stayed up late watching classic Christmas movies (even though they didn't need sleep). Mina had a blast listening to the group telling her of the backstories behinds some of the movies that she never knew.

It was around 3 in the morning before Mina started phasing in and out of visibility.

"Bed time," Carlisle nudged, taking her hand and leading her up the stairs.

"Good night everyone!" Mina called out.

"Good night Mina," they smiled.

Falling asleep with Carlisle next to her, she wondered how much she was blessed to know the Cullens—even if it was after death.

* * *

 **~Wednesday, December 31st, 2004: Forks, Washington**

A little over a year has passed. School carried on as usual, with the Cullens being either ignored or fawned over but nothing out of the ordinary. Mina and Carlisle celebrated their first year together in the garden once more. Another romantic dance night together followed by cute romantic comedies on DVD.

Carlisle could tell that Mina was getting slightly frustrated at not being able to leave the Cullen household or its surrounding grounds. The farthest they ever got to was the end of the long driveway one time for a walk. Mina never pushed the conversation of crossing over, barely even entertaining the thought. But lately, she seemed withdrawn.

It was New Year's Eve after all, a time when everyone was pondering the past year and hoping for a better year. The sun had just set, Mina watching the colours still fading into the darker hues of indigo and purple. She was on the roof, watching as the stars began to glisten in the sky. The sky was unusually clear for Forks, especially around this time of year. There wasn't snow like last year, but it was still biting cold for a human, something she was beginning to miss.

Carlisle joined her on the roof, having been tipped by Edward of her darker thoughts and Jasper mentioning her melancholy air. Mina was so deep in her thoughts that Carlisle scared her invisible.

"Mina, darling, what's the matter?" he asked, taking a seat beside her. She pursed her lips, looking away from Carlisle and back to the sky.

"How do you do it?"

Confused, Carlisle prompted her to continue.

"How can you take each year, knowing that nothing changes? When I took off a year after high school, I wanted to find myself. Instead, I was murdered. I hadn't done a single thing worth anything in my life. I was about to start my life, but I was afraid to grow up. And now I'm frozen, stuck in this place. I love it here, I love all of you, and I love you. But it's like that book I read, the Lovely Bones. I'm stuck in the perfect world. I don't think I'm ready to cross over, not yet, but I also don't want to be here forever. How do you do it? How have you done it for hundreds of years?" she asked softly, begging for an answer to her turmoil.

Carlisle sighed, looking up at the stars for a long time. Mina wasn't sure he was going to answer her, and she made to leave before he took her hand gently.

"I've lasted so long because I was waiting for you," he confessed strongly. Her eyes wide in surprise, she looked to him as he continued to look in the stars. "I always felt this emptiness was inside me. I tried to fill it with knowledge in my youth, then with Edward for companionship, followed by Rosalie and Emmett. All the while, I was content with my life. But I wasn't alive, not really. Not until I met you. Imagine that, a vampire feeling alive. But I do feel so alive now. I feel a pain being parted from you; you're a reason I'm honestly completely happy. I know we've never discussed our future, but it was because I was afraid of this, of you being tormented by unknown possibilities. I do love you, never doubt that. And if that means you cross over for peace, I understand. Just know that I will follow you wherever you go, on earth or otherwise," he added passionately.

Mina gasped, understanding the full meaning of his declaration. Nodding, unsure of what else to say, she turned back to the stars. Noticing a shooting star, she made a wish just as fireworks began to go off for the New Year. Gasping in pain, a bright light surrounded Mina. Carlisle stepped forward, trying to grab Mina from whatever it was that was happening.

Finding her hand, he tugged her forward before a soft warm body collided with his.

* * *

 **A.N. This update was actually two sections, though I really didn't want to post an 800+ word chapter and so I put a bit of a more serious mini-chapter as well. I thought I'd stretch these filler chapters more but things are about to get interesting.**

 **Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works. Also, I'm working on a Descendants (2015) fanfic (already 13,000 words in) and was curious if you would like to share ideas for some teachers and classes. Send me a PM and I'll let y'all know more details!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	10. Chapter 1-8

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you Goldielover for reviewing once again! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing. Also, thank you so much for all the favorites and follows (I'm not sure if you want me to post a shout-out to y'all but I can if you'd like).**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. Also Harry Potter belongs to the wonderful J. K. Rowling and not myself. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER EIGHT**

 **~Thursday, January 1** **st** **, 2005: Forks, Washington**

Mina lay in his arms, only she didn't seem like her usual self. Her skin was no long grey, it was a light olive skin tone with freckles dotting over her nose and cheeks. Her black hair was now a dark rich brown. Her body was warm with life, seeing as he could feel her heart beating at an incredible pace. What worried him was that she seemed unconscious, that and she was stark naked.

As the fireworks show continued outside, he rushed her inside and to their room. Having picked up on his frantic emotions and thoughts, Jasper and Edward respectively came into the room. Both were shocked that she was seemingly alive again, though they had no clue as to what happened.

"What happened?" Jasper asked.

"I'm not sure. Mina gasped in pain, and when I turned to look at her, she was surrounded by light. Without thinking, I reached for her. I'm not sure if she was passing on or not, but when I pulled her close to me, she came out like this. I've never seen anything like this," he frowned, quickly dressing her in some undergarments and a nightgown for her modesty.

Checking her vitals, she felt extremely warm but her vitals seemed alright. If anything, she just seemed unconscious.

Groaning attracted the men's attention as Mina slowly opened her eyes. They were a deep, warm coffee-brown colour that seemed unfocused for a moment. Blinking, Mina slowly sat up, a soreness filling her body as Carlisle rushed to her.

"Mina, darling, are you alright?"

"It was the strangest thing. I had a dream where I was surrounded by light. It kinda reminded me of the light I first saw but I felt like I couldn't go yet. A voice told me I had to stay a little longer and then I remembered you and I felt that I couldn't leave you. So I followed my heart to you," she blushed, her cheeks flushing red.

"Mina, I don't think that was a dream. You seem… alive," Carlisle spoke gently, lifting a hand up so she could see the difference. Gasping, she looked at her hand, now the same olive tone she used to remember. Alice came in with a mirror, shocked but excited about this turn of events. Taking the mirror, Mina looked to the face she used to look at every day before work. Her scruffy dark hair was her favorite shade of brown because she loved how she had her mother's hair. Her eyes were all her dad, though, and her smile was his as well. Before she knew it, she was crying real tears.

"What's wrong?" Carlisle asked, coming to her in her moment of distress.

"I'm happy, Carlisle," she smiled as more tears fell. "I'm happy because I've got a second chance. A real chance to be with you!" She tackled him into a deep hug, forgetting that her body was still quite sore.

Hugging her back, Carlisle pulled her away to kiss her deeply. "I was so worried I'd lost you," he smiled. The other Cullens had given them privacy, deciding to question the couple in the morning.

Mina sighed, relaxing in his embrace before yawning widely.

"Bed time?" he teased. Mina could only nod before he tucked her in, laying with her and playing with her hair gently before she succumbed to true sleep. Carlisle couldn't believe how seeing her there asleep beside him brought him so much comfort. He relaxed as well, not dozing off but deciding to just be there with her. They would have enough things to figure out in the morning.

* * *

Waking up, Mina blinked a few times before stretching languidly. She stretched wide, smiling at feeling her body loosen from the tension and curled more into Carlisle's side. He felt sturdy to her, but not marble like how they described themselves.

Running his fingers through her hair once more, he kissed her softly on the forehead before greeting her.

"Good morning, darling."

"Good morning, hun," she smiled. Closing her eyes once more, he chuckled lightly at her behavior before getting up from the bed. "Aw, come on! Five more minutes," she pouted playfully.

"We have to start the day sometime," he laughed, picking her up in his arms. Gasping in surprise, she could only hold on to him as he made his way down the stairs with her.

"Put me down, you big lout!" she giggled. Carlisle laughed, jostling her about playfully before making his way to the kitchen. Placing her down in a bar stool, Rosalie finished serving up some breakfast of an omelet and toast. It was then that her stomach rumbled loudly.

"Whoa, food!" Mina beamed, thanking Rosalie profoundly before digging in to the delicious meal. Halfway through her meal, a thought occurred to Mina. "Wait, when did you get food?"

"Oh, Alice and Rosalie went shopping for some basic groceries at the gas station. We weren't sure if you'd eat or not but we decided to give it a shot," he smiled. At that, Alice came bounding in.

"So we heard your conversation last night and we've come up with some ideas. I believe you two are soul mates and that's why you didn't cross over—your soul knew he was still around. The guys are calling it chance or what-not, but you're Carlisle's mate. There's no other way around it," Alice beamed.

"Yes, it's much like with Emmett and me," Rosalie smiled softly. "When a vampire finds their mate, it's for life." Mina glanced to Carlisle, who only smiled lightly towards her.

"Is that true?" she asked shyly.

"It is," Carlisle said, gazing into her eyes. "From the moment I held your body in my arms, a shock went through me. My body recognized yours as if I'd waited all this time for you." Blushing deeply at his smoldering gaze, she could only nod as her body seemed to recognize the sentiment.

"Now we just need to figure out what you are," Emmett bound in loudly. The other guys followed him shortly after.

"What do you mean? I feel like how I used to," Mina added confused.

"Did you always run an extremely high temperature? And your heartbeat is incredibly fast though you seem relaxed," Jasper noted.

"No, if anything I was always more on the colder spectrum of temperature. I've always been pretty average when it came to my health," she added.

"We'll just have to take this day by day," Edward noted. "But what do we do now that Mina's alive? She can't leave because people will recognize her."

"That's a good point," Carlisle frowned.

"We could always move again?" Emmett asked.

"But we just moved here," Rosalie frowned.

"I don't want you guys to leave on my account," Mina stated.

"Forks is a pretty perfect when it comes to being able to be out and about," Jasper added.

"And Mina's garden is here," Carlisle frowned.

"What if I just left?" she thought aloud. The room went quiet. "I mean, you guys could still live here. My garden would be taken care of by you, and I was planning on going to college eventually. I could always visit," she rambled.

"That's not a bad idea," Alice said. "We can easily get her knew papers and get her set up in a new school. The semester hasn't started yet and we could easily get her in."

Carlisle hadn't said anything quite yet, and that worried Mina. "Carlisle, hun? What do you think?"

"I'd miss you," he whispered, loud enough for her to hear. "This urge to be near you is so strong, it's a little frightening."

"I could go on certain days when you'd be at work! I could be home before you know I'm missing," she added. Carlisle frowned, knowing that she was right. He just didn't like it.

"That does sound reasonable," he sighed. Mina beamed, hugging him tightly.

"Now it's all just a matter of what name you'll have, what major you'll be going for, and little things like that," Alice smiled.

"Oh, uh, I can't still be Mina?" she frowned.

"Mina's not that common of a name. And with you going to a school relatively close, people could still recognize you," Jasper added. Mina thought a bit before turning to Rosalie.

"Can Rosalie name me and be my new mom?" she asked. Rosalie quickly got her into a hug.

"Of course I can!" she beamed, all three laughing when Emmett scooped all of them into a hug that lifted them off the floor.

"I call dibs on the middle name!" Emmett laughed.

"Well, when it comes to back stories that's fine. But since you'll be in college, you'd be older than the rest of them," Carlisle noted.

"Aww," she frowned.

"I could always be that for the next move," Rosalie smiled.

"I could just be an older adopted sibling that is started college late?"

"That could work. That would explain why we'd move closer, though we've never mentioned another sibling," Jasper frowned.

"Then what about a friend? You don't have to mention friends every day and I could say I was from Alaska and happened to catch wave of you guys here in Forks while attending school."

"That could work," Alice smiled. "Now what were you thinking of going to school for?"

"Well, I was taking time off to work and get some life experience before starting school. So I didn't think too deeply about what I wanted to do. I guess I could just start with my basics and see if anything catches my eye?"

"They have remedial course to help you get ready for college classes," Jasper said. "It could help refresh your memory and help you test the waters."

"So the University of Washington? It's pretty close to here," Edward asked.

"I'd be a Husky?" Mina smiled.

"Seems so," Carlisle smiled.

"So back to my name," Mina asked, prompting Rosalie to give a pause.

"What about Mia? It's similar to your name now so there wouldn't be much difference."

"Mia was my sister's name," Mina stated.

"Lily? What about Lily" Rosalie asked. "It's a lovely name for one who does love those flowers," she smiled fondly.

"Lily reminds me of Harry Potter," Mina smiled.

"I GET TO CHOOSE THE MIDDLE NAME! I called it," Emmett bounced excitedly. "What about Jude? Lily Jude McCarty," he beamed. Everyone seemed confused by his name choice but it seemed to fit well. "It'll be like being our daughter in secret," he teased. Mina beamed, nodding before turning to Carlisle excitedly.

"So now I'm Lily Jude McCarty, and I'm going to college," she said dramatically, making everyone laugh.

* * *

 **A.N. Mina is alive! Now onto the messy bits of being alive. [For anyone that goes to the University of Washington, I don't know much about the school so her classes will be generic unless anyone does go there and wants to give tips!]**

 **Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works. Also, I'm working on a Descendants (2015) fanfic (already 13,000 words in) and was curious if you wanted to give me ideas for some teachers and classes. Send me a PM and I'll let y'all know more details! Once I get a little more ahead I was thinking about started to post that one as well.**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	11. Chapter 1-9

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you Becky for reviewing! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing. Also, thank you so much for all the favorites and follows (I'm not sure if you want me to post a shout-out to y'all but I can if you'd like). We're already close to 50 followers!**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. Also Tony Hawk's Underground 2 doesn't belong to me. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER NINE**

 **~Wednesday, January 5th, 2005: Forks, Washington**

Blinking awake, Lily was surprised to find herself not where she went to bed. She distinctly remembered laying in her and Carlisle's bed, resting in his arms and surrounded by the fluffy comforter. Now she was still in Carlisle's arms, but she found herself in a recliner-like chair and a slight rumbling.

Rubbing her eyes, she looked dazed (more confused) at Carlisle before Alice showed up.

"Good morning! I hope you are feeling well rested because we are going shopping!" Alice beamed. Lily could only blink before turning to Carlisle for confirmation.

"We have to go out of Washington to do your shopping so no one will recognize you. Alice can see your future now that you're alive and well and she hasn't seen anyone recognizing you," he explained.

"Oh, I see. Who came?"

"Everyone, though Emmett and Jasper are in charge of flying our jet," Carlisle said.

"Emmett and Jasper can fly a jet? And your jet?" she said, surprised.

"Yes, when you have a need to be inconspicuous at airports, owning your own is the best way to go," he teased. That didn't make any sense to Lily but it seemed to work for them.

It turns out they were going to New York to shop, the guys trailing after them to carry the bags. To be fair though, Lily got them to go to a gaming store just for the guys, which Emmett was through the roof for. Emmett even convinced Lily to play Tony Hawk's Underground 2 with him when they get home.

It was during their lunch break, with Lily tired out of her mind, that Alice asked if she and Rosalie could take Lily out on their own.

"We just have to get some girly things," Alice promised. "Besides, there are some things you guys shouldn't see," she teased. Carlisle saw no problem with it, and so the group separated.

When the guys were way out of range, Lily noted that they weren't going into the clothing store.

"Well, I had this idea if we gave you a fresh look, it would help with not being so recognizable," Alice asked. Lily was surprised she hadn't thought of it before, but then she began to get excited.

"I've always wanted to colour my hair!" she beamed, bouncing up and down excitedly. Alice beamed back and they rushed into the hair salon.

Lily loved it, the whole thing being very relaxing. They went in around one and were leaving at 4:30. When they met up with the guys, their jaws dropped.

Lily's hair was cut to her chin in a curly bob, her curly bangs still side-swept. What was most surprising is the colour of her hair: a soft rose-gold pink colour. It complimented her skin quite well, and with the new blue contacts she had put in earlier, you could hardly tell it was Mina at all.

"How does Lily McCarty look?" Rosalie smiled. Lily blushed, twiddling her fingers in anticipation for Carlisle's verdict.

"The colour suits you. You look positively adorable," he smiled, twirling her around before embracing her deeply. Lily giggled, sighing in relief as they made their way back to the plane.

"What about the length? I've never cut it this short before," she asked worriedly.

"It suits you very well, darling. You look quite delightful and you being happy with it makes it all the more better on you," he smiled, kissing her cheek softly. Beaming, she kissed him softly on the lips before walking up the stairs into the plane.

He smiled, following her and taking his spot next to her. After the long day, she quickly fell asleep.

While she was asleep, they made it home and she was placed into bed. Carlisle had Alice unpack all of her things, knowing that she had a way that she liked to set up clothes. Her new clothes were mainly dresses and thigh high socks in pastels and whites. She also got a lot of flats, shoes with short heels, or ankle boots. It was subtle Lolita with her new headbands and bows. It was clothes that she always thought was adorable but was too afraid to try it or couldn't afford them. Carlisle was happy that she seemed more confident in herself than before. Although her physiological anomalies were something he was worried about, he decided to put his curiosity on hold since it didn't seem harmful.

* * *

The following Monday was her first day of classes. They had gotten her a green 2005 Toyota Corolla, which although was brand new, didn't stand out as much as their other cars. It was her first time driving since she had died, and the distance made her worry. She only had two classes, though she was leaving when the rest left so it would give her time to drive and get used to the school.

Alice wanted to help her get dressed for her first day of classes, so she picked out a blue dress, white button-up to go under and make the sleeves, white thigh-high socks, and brown ankle boots. Donning a blue bow in her hair and a brown jacket, she got her small backpack with a few notebooks and supplies before heading downstairs. Carlisle smiled at her adorable look before kissing her sweetly.

"You look superb, darling," he smiled, making her blush. Kissing him on his cheek, she following him to the kitchen where breakfast was waiting for her. Rosalie handed her some crepes with chocolate drizzled over them.

"Figured you'd want something sweet to make you feel better," Rosalie smiled, already knowing Lily like the back of her hand. She smiled in thanks before digging in, a glass of milk going down nicely with her breakfast.

"So here goes nothing," she said weakly, making her way to her car.

"Text me when you get there," Carlisle called. Lily nodded before pulling out and driving away. She took her time, knowing she'd be about an hour early anyways. It was nice to know that the roads still seemed familiar to her, and in no time she was at the school.

Parking at the library, she decided to get her library card and parking stickers before class once she texted Carlisle that she made it. There weren't too many people here and she was surprised to find a 'HELP WANTED' sign by the counter.

"Are you hiring?" Lily asked excitedly. She adored books almost as much as gardening, it was something familiar.

"Yes, are you a new student?" the woman asked. She was in her mid-fifties with greying red hair and bright green eyes and freckled skin.

"Yes, today's my first day of my first semester," she smiled easily. "I've always wanted to work in a library," she gushed, remembering she couldn't give information about working in Forks.

"Alright, we just need to bring up your files and see if you qualify," the librarian smiled, typing quickly onto the computer. After getting everything settled, it was decided that she would work a few hours after her last class each day, which would get her to go home about an hour after the Cullens got back from school in Forks. She would only be part-time, which she had no problems with—she just wanted to get back to working.

Her classes were relatively easy, then again it was the first day. She was taking a remedial math and English class on Mondays and Wednesdays, then a remedial science and history class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It was a simple enough schedule, one that would keep her busy while everyone was at school.

She even got to start working in the library that day, doing simple stuff like getting used to the system and putting away a few books. Once she was done, she drove home quite satisfied with her day.

"Hey fishy," Emmett smirked.

"Fishy?" Lily asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"You're a freshman, or fishy. It's the same thing," he teased, making her roll her eyes playfully.

"You're the one in high school still," she teased, sticking her tongue out. Before she could blink, Emmett had her tongue in his fingers.

"What was that? I can't understand you," he laughed, making her pout while still having her tongue.

"I would let go if I were you," Carlisle said darkly, making Emmett jump away in surprise.

"Carlisle!" she beamed, jumping into the arms of the man who had just come home.

"Hello, darling. How was school?"

"It was alright. The great news is I got a job at the library. I get out around the same time that the rest of you get out of school here. So I won't be waiting for you so long," she beamed.

"That's good," he smiled, kissing her softly before leading her to their garden for some alone time. "I missed you," he sighed, pulling her close to him under the peach tree.

"I missed you, too," she smiled, relaxing in his hold.

"I'm getting a bit worried," Carlisle admitted.

"Why is that?"

"Alice seems to be hiding something. It doesn't seem bad, it's just that she's never withheld information so much," he frowned.

"Has she ever led you astray? And you said that it didn't seem bad. If it was anything dangerous, I'm sure she would've told you already," Lily said.

"I know. Just letting you know I suspect something is going to happen," he sighed.

Turning around and straddling his hips, she gave him a big hug. Smiling softly, he buried his face in her bright hair and breathing in her scent deeply.

"You smell nice, like fresh sugar cookies," he smiled. She laughed, nuzzling him softly as she played with his hair gently.

"I'll take that as I smell delicious?" she teased. When Carlisle didn't say anything, she looked up at him curiously. She was surprised to find his eyes burning darkly with a hunger she wasn't used to.

"Do not mistake me, my darling. I may be a vampire centuries old and full of control, but I am still a man," he said huskily. Lily's eyes widened at this new side to Carlisle. "A man in love with a beautiful, attractive young woman that is so unaware of how alluring she is." At that she blushed deeply, quite unsure of what was happening.

"Carlisle, you are so sweet and caring to me," she declared sweetly, kissing him softly.

His hands stayed at her waist, though he wanted to pull her close to him and feel every part of her. But he knew she was innocent and sweet, much like himself when it came to relationships. He couldn't rush it, and he had already waited centuries. What was a little more waiting to him?

Lily smiled softly, relaxing in his hold once more. They spent the night in the garden, looking at the twinkling lights they had set up not too long ago. Once Lily fell asleep, Carlisle carried her upstairs where Alice changed her into some of his pajamas. Kissing her softly on her forehead, he settled in his spot next to her and waited for the sun to rise. Just as Lily would rise, bring with her his daylight and shining hope for the future.

* * *

 **A.N. Mina, now Lily, has a new look. I use dress up simulators when I like to get an idea for characters (mainly from dolldivine or azaleasdolls which are super fun for anything!). [For anyone that goes to the University of Washington, I don't know much about the school so her classes will be generic unless anyone does go there and wants to give tips!]**

 **Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	12. Chapter 1-10

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you Goldilover and natsumi456 for reviewing (natsumi, your review made me squeal as well)! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing. Also, thank you so much for all the favorites and follows (I'm not sure if you want me to post a shout-out to y'all but I can if you'd like).**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER TEN**

 **~Tuesday, January 18th, 2005: Forks, Washington**

The rest of the week passed on with no new surprises. Mina was getting used to her new schedule of classes and working, and although she'd rather be at home with everyone, she had to do her part to make sure she wasn't found out and they'd have to move. They all seemed to enjoy their quiet life in Forks, something she had always enjoyed, too. She was usually pretty go-with-the-flow and cruising when it came to life before she died. With Carlisle in her life, she wanted to do the best she could.

Throughout the previous week, Alice had mentioned that a new girl was moving to Forks. Apparently she was the daughter of the police chief, Mr. Swan. Lily hadn't known her too well, considering she was only a child whenever Isabella was born. Even her youngest brother had been five when Isabella was born, and a little rambunctious boy wouldn't want to play with a fragile newborn baby girl. So she was happy she wouldn't have to worry about being noticed by her.

Everyone went to school quite normally, though it was when Lily returned home that something seemed off. Everyone was gathered in the living room talking when Lily walked in.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" she asked. They looked at her, some looked angry and the rest looked worried.

"Edward's gone," Rosalie ground out. This surprised Lily to see her so angry.

"Why? Is he okay?" she asked worriedly.

"He's just fine, Lily. He's just gone to cool off," Alice soothed.

"Is that what you're calling it?" Rosalie snarled. "He almost attacked a human."

"What?! Why?"

"He said her blood smelled unlike anything he had ever smelled before. I'm sure he met his la tua cantante," Alice smiled.

"What's that?" Lily asked.

"It's an Italian phrase for his singer. Her blood 'sings' and calls to him, making it almost irresistible," Carlisle said, entering the room.

"Carlisle, hun, Edward's gone," she told him worriedly.

"I know. He called me when he left," he said soothingly, hugging her comfortingly.

"So he's okay?"

"Okay as can be. He's gone to be with the Denali clan for a bit," he said as he addressed the rest of the Cullens. "He'll come back when he's ready."

"Everything will be fine," Alice said. "I've seen this."

"You saw this and didn't give him any warnings?" Rosalie barked. "He could have revealed himself to the humans if he attacked her!"

"But he didn't," Alice smiled. "Everything is fine, Rosalie. You'll see," Alice continued.

Rosalie huffed, heading up to her room. Emmett decided to trail after her to console her. Jasper took a long look as his wife before sighing exasperatedly.

"You're sure nothin' is gonna happen?" he asked.

"I've seen things, love. Things that will bring Edward his happiness," she smiled softly. At this, Jasper and Carlisle seemed shocked, while Lily beamed.

"Really? That's wonderful," she smiled. "So this is what you've been withholding?"

"Yup, if I had said anything he would've left a lot sooner and then he'd still be lonely and sad," Alice revealed. She decided to leave it at that and headed up to her room with a skip. Jasper was quick to follow, which left Carlisle and Lily in the room.

Carlisle sighed, taking Lily's hand and leading her to their garden.

"Honey, what's wrong?" she asked once they were under their tree. At first he seemed still as stone, but when he lifted his face to her, she was happy to see the relief clear in his eyes. Sighing out of relief, he relaxed and pulled her close.

"I was so worried," he smiled softly. "I understand that this will be hard for Edward, whatever is about to come, but if what Alice says is true then I can't help but be happy that he'll have his happiness soon. Of all my children, he's the one that always worries me. Not in the way that he's a wild child, but that I was so worried that I had damned him in this life," he frowned.

"You could never damn anyone, love," she declared, making him look into her eyes. "All happily-ever-after's take time. His just took a little longer than usual, kind of like ours, Grandpa," she teased. He poked her lightly in retaliation before letting her continue. "If his happiness is in Isabella, then we should support him and not make him even more worried. I know how they were all worried about us when I was a ghost, how it wouldn't last or that it didn't seem right since we weren't the same. But we've endured. Who's to say that they won't, either?"

Smiling, he pulled her in for a sweet kiss before letting her relax in his side. "How did you get so brilliant?" he asked, kissing her hair as he rubbed her arms soothingly.

"It takes someone in love to fight for it," she teased, taking his free hand and kissing it lightly. "I know everyone is just worried. It's all new to us, especially since our love story has just begun not too long ago."

"If you think about it, our love story started much longer ago," he added. "I mean, I am quite the grandpa," he teased. She smacked him lightly.

"Yes, you dirty old man," she laughed, getting up and running away from him.

"A dirty old man, huh? Well, let's see how fast this dirty old man is!" he laughed, yelling out in a faux-villainous voice and giving an evil laugh. Squealing, she shot off to the woods, hoping for some coverage.

Laughing, Carlisle chased after her at a human speed, though he was surprised that he soon began to need his vampiric speed. Lily didn't even notice that she was running so fast, she was caught up in the thrill of the chase.

"Lily, wait up!" he called out, getting worried by this revelation. She looked back, wondering how Carlisle was so behind when she noticed a tree coming in fast.

"What?" she squeaked as she prepared to hit the tree quite hard since she had no time to avoid it. But she was even more surprised when she phased through the three! Carlisle helped the dazed girl up from the floor behind the tree before they both looked to each other in shock. At first, they thought she had turned back into a ghost but her fast heartbeat proved them otherwise.

"I was worried about his," Carlisle frowned. "I've never encountered anything like this before," he sighed, holding her close to him.

"Carlisle, love, I'm sure this isn't anything bad. What if I've just retained some of my more ghostly powers? We can always test it out," she replied soothingly.

"Maybe," he sighed, not wanting her to be part of the unknown. He feared that if there were anything more unexpected, she could be in danger.

"We've had quiet the exciting day, love. Let's go home and relax," she offered.

"Of course, darling," he smiled softly, taking her in his arms before zooming off.

"Carlisle! I could've easily walked with you," she exclaimed, lightly hitting his arm as he put her down.

"I wanted to be home sooner," he smirked, kissing her lightly to distract her. Laughing at her dazed look, he ruffled her hair playfully which got her attention.

"Gah, why do you like ruffling my hair so much now?" she whined playfully, smacking his hands away.

"It's so cute in this style, it practically begs to be ruffled," he teased, laughing at her indignation. "Forgive me?" he pleaded, giving her puppy-dog-eyes.

"There's nothing to forgive," she smiled sweetly. They headed up to their room for the rest of the night, though Lily called Edward to make sure he was safe and sound at the Denali's. He apologized for worrying her and promised he wouldn't be gone long. She could only hope so.

* * *

 **A.N. So now begins Twilight. I love adding the little nuances between Carlisle and Lily's relationship! More to unfold in the next chapters seeing as how we're getting into where the main story begins.**

 **We hit 50 followers! I am surprised so many of you enjoy this story, and I love reading your reviews that encourage me to continue the story. As a little 'thank you' I'll be posting another chapter on Thursday in the evening, though I'm not sure of the time. It could possibly be earlier but no later than Thursday. Let me know if you want a particular kind of chapter, like a fluffy filler as the bonus chapter or not.**

 **Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	13. Chapter 1-11

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. This is the bonus chapter for hitting 50 followers! I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you Goldilover for reviewing! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing. Also, thank you so much for all the favorites and follows (I'm not sure if you want me to post a shout-out to y'all but I can if you'd like).**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER ELEVEN**

 **~Monday, January 24th, 2005: Forks, Washington**

The rest of the week seemed to drag on slowly. Even though Lily had school and work, it just wasn't the same knowing that Edward wasn't home. Rosalie and Emmett were constantly in their room, Rosalie brooding and Emmett trying to soothe his wife. If you didn't know Rosalie, you'd think she was just angry at the situation, but she was actually fearful of moving when they had just found a great place to live. It was quiet, quaint, and she actually enjoyed the sleepy town. Alice and Jasper went about as usual, considering Alice's insistence that everything would turn out alright. Lily was the only one visibly upset by Edward's absence, no matter how hard Carlisle tried to comfort her. He did a wonderful job, but seeing him room empty as she passed it or his car missing in the garage just sent a wave of sadness through her.

Getting dressed in a pink sweater-dress, thick white leggings, a white coat, bright red scarf and matching beanie and mittens, and black knit boots, she half-heartedly gathered her belongings and headed down the stairs. Carlisle had been called in to work sometime during the night and had left a note for her, meaning she didn't have to pretend that she was happy. She was just so worried for Edward, they were her new family and she has always been incredibly loyal.

"Hello, Lily," a voice said quietly. Shocked, she raised her head to see the young man she was so worried about actually present before her.

"Edward?" she asked, before launching herself at him. "EDWARD!" she beamed as she hugged him tightly. He laughed, ruffling her hair before he set her down. It was then that she smacked him lightly. "Why did you leave without saying anything?! I was so worried," she said, bringing up fake tears to be even more dramatic.

"Sorry, mom," he chuckled, before they both froze at what he said.

"Mom?" she blushed. He looked like he would have blushed as he scratched his head.

"Well, you are always so motherly towards us even if you don't notice it. It just kinda slipped," he smiled softly.

"Well, I'd be honored, even though I'm the same age as you," she teased.

"Technically you're only older physically. I've got almost 80 years on you," he smirked.

"I'm surrounded by grandpas!" she sighed dramatically. He laughed, gathering her into a hug again before motioning her towards the garage.

"Alright, mommy dearest, you need to head on to school," he laughed. She pouted before accepting her fate.

"Okay, but you better be here when I get back," she added faux-sternly. He nodded with a small smile, waving her off as she backed out of the garage.

School passed by in a blur, she was so happy. The customers and the librarian could tell her mood was considerably brighter, though that didn't mean she was slacking day-dreamily. She did all her work well and with a bright smile. If anyone asked, she said some family had come back home from being gone a while.

As she drove home, she spotted someone parked by the side of the road. Something about this seemed familiar, but she couldn't place where. The car seemed a little older, and the guy began waving her down once he noticed the car. There were remnants of something like oil on his shirt seeing as he had just been under the hood of his car. Pulling over, she got out to find a man in his early 30s.

"Sorry to bother you. Something is wrong with my car, the light started blinking and before I know it, it sputtered and died," he laughed. She laughed, although kinda dazed since something was extremely familiar about this man.

"You don't have a phone to call the tow truck?" she asked, becoming wary of this smiling man.

"I have tried, but I think I have a bad number. I'm from out of town," he chuckled.

"Alright, I'll get mine and I can see if I can get you a lift to the place," she said, not one to turn down someone in need. As she turned around, she was hit with the memory of her death. Looking back at the man, she nearly relaxed seeing the differences in this man. Her murderer had light blond hair and had a baby face that disarmed her senses. This man was more chiseled and had dark brunette hair, but looking into his eyes, she held in a gasp. They were the same piercing grey eyes.

She felt helpless all over again as she slowly continued her way to her truck. Her body was on high alert, noting how he surprisingly kept his distance. She kept her eyes on him subtly, even as she had to bend into her car to get her phone. Lily noted that she had several missed calls, a few from Alice and Edward and the most from Carlisle. Calling Carlisle, she wasn't surprised when he picked up before the first ring.

"Where are you? Are you alright? Alice had a vision…"

"Do you know the number to the tow truck company in Forks?" she said quickly and quietly. She glanced to see the man still waiting by his car. This confused her, shouldn't he be attacking her or something.

"Where are you," he demanded softly. "Alice said you're about to be attacked by some man. Please say you're alright," he pleaded.

"It's him," she whispered quickly. "I need the number to the tow truck. He hasn't done anything, but I'm not letting my guard down," she frowned. He quickly gave her the number and made her promise to call him soon.

After calling the tow service and telling them where they were, she hung up.

"They're on their way," she said. Nodding, he thanked her before closing the hood of his car.

"How long do you think they'll take?" he asked, leaning on his car. She stayed close to her car door.

"Not long, a few minutes," she added, hoping to dissuade him from anything nefarious. Nodding, he just leaned against his car and the two waited in silence.

"You seem familiar. Are you from around here?" he asked. Tensing up, she shook her head.

"I just moved here," she added. He nodded, though he still stared at her. She kept her head away from him and began texting Carlisle.

 _'_ _He seems to have legitimate car troubles. Though he does seem to recognize me a teeny bit but not from where'—L_

 **'** **Please be safe. Remember, you still have some of your powers and strength'—C**

 _'_ _I am, I'm not letting him see me or be too close to me so I don't have to use my powers'—L_

It was then that she noticed him staring down at her. She nearly jumped, but she locked eyes with him.

"I know you," he frowned. "What's your name?"

"It's not any of your business," she glared, "but it's Lily."

"I don't know any Lily," he frowned, looking at her for any clues.

"And I don't know you," she frowned, backing away from him. "Oh look, your tow truck is here. I'll just be on my way," she said, smiling in relief. But she tensed when he grabbed her arm.

"I'll see you around, Lily," he said, smirking to her in a way that gave her goose bumps.

She wasted no time in pulling out and driving home a little faster than the speed limit. As she parked into the drive way, her door was yanked open and she found herself in arms that made her feel safe. Finally feeling able to let go of her fear, she began sobbing into Carlisle's chest.

"What happened?! Are you hurt?!" he asked frantically, pulling away from her to check for any injuries.

"He only grabbed me," she sniffed, wiping away her tears with her jacket sleeve. "But it was him, love. I'd know those eyes anywhere. I didn't catch a name, and he's grown up a bit and changed his hair colour. But those eyes… those piercing eyes. They were trained on me like a hawk. I know he knew me, just not how," she whimpered, being to cry again.

Pulling her into his arms, he took them to their room to be alone.

"My darling, you're safe. He can't hurt you now," he soothed, rubbing her arms comfortingly.

"Carlisle, he said he'd see me around. He looked like he had been getting ready to leave but what if he's staying because of me," she whimpered, burying her head deeper into Carlisle.

"We'll find him, hunt him down," he growled.

"Carlisle, no. He may have killed me but I may have been his only victim," she frowned. "And I've never felt the need for revenge. A life for a life only destroys many lives," she frowned. He sighed before nodding at her reasoning. "I only ever wanted to know why he killed me, but seeing him again has terrified me. Even with my powers, I felt so helpless, like I was being murdered all over again."

The two stayed silent, Lily's whimpers dying off in her sleep which only continued as she had a nightmare. No doubt it was about the night of her murder. Carlisle could only watch helpless, trying to soothe her as he held her. It seemed to work after a while, but he hated that she had to go through her murder again in her mind. He wouldn't wish it upon anyone.

It was while she was asleep that a soft knock that alerted Carlisle to the presence of his family. They all filed in, first Edward followed by Rosalie and Emmett, then Alice and Jasper. They all frowned, Rosalie sitting beside Lily and softly combing her fingers through her hair.

"How's mom?" Emmett asked softly, much like a little child. It was then that the name his Carlisle. He looked to his adoptive children, wanting an explanation for the name.

"We may be motherly to her, but she is like a mother to us. Never feeling like we are monsters. She loves and accepts all of us, and even worries to the point of being sick over us. We all feel that she is our mother," Jasper said, smiling softly before frowning at her horrified emotions. "If only she didn't have such a fate that she did."

"I'll kill him," Emmett growled out angrily.

"Love, you heard her earlier. She doesn't want revenge, and I'm sure she'd look at us in disappointment if we did," Rosalie added softly, making Emmett deflate.

"I want to help mom," he frowned.

"We all do, but this is something that takes time," Rosalie sighed, remembering her own murder. Emmett held Rosalie's hand comfortingly while Carlisle nodded at their declaration.

"We can only hope he stays away," he frowned. He felt himself want to tear up at their love for Lily as they each came up and gave a comforting kiss on the forehead or her hair before exiting the room. He sighed, pulling her to rest in his side as he lightly played with her hair.

This was quite unexpected. He would've thought the man would be behind bars at this point. But fate could be cruel sometimes, and he vowed he would protect Lily now and forevermore.

* * *

 **A.N. Mina's murderer is back in town, and not behind bars like I originally intended. Goldilover inspired me to give him a bigger role than swift judgment soon after her death. And so things are about to get extra tense, with both Mina's murderer and Edward back in town.**

 **Thank you once again for hitting 50 followers! If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. The next chapter will be on Monday or Tuesday like usual.**

 **Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	14. Chapter 1-12

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you Goldielover and tacomaster0928 for reviewing! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing. Also, thank you so much for all the favorites and follows (I'm not sure if you want me to post a shout-out to y'all but I can if you'd like).**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. Also another disclaimer to Disney for Princess Diaries 2 (an adorable movie and I can't wait for #3). I hope you enjoy!**

 **P. S. PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END! ;)**

* * *

 **WARNING: CHAPTER MENTIONS GRAPHIC CONTENT**

 **CHAPTER TWELVE**

 **~Tuesday, January 25th, 2005: Forks, Washington**

Lily woke up feeling horrible, having not gotten a good night's sleep. Carlisle let her stay in, seeing as she seemed to be doing well enough in her classes to miss one day to feel better. She also had Carlisle call into her work for her to give her a doctor's excuse. The librarian had wished her well and that she'd see her when she was better.

The rest of the day, as much as she wanted to sleep in, was spent wandering the house alone. She was reminded of the previous year and a half with the Cullens, being unable to leave the house as a ghost. Not wanting to feel even more isolated, she decided to make a quick trip into town. It wasn't like anybody would recognize her it is was something quick.

Driving to the store, she decided to pick up some groceries. She was in the mood for a big tub of Raspberry Sherbet. Having dressed up in a large tan knit sweater over a black sweater-dress and leggings, it was easy to see that she wasn't feeling the best in this cold weather—though why she was getting ice cream was beyond them.

Carrying a few light snacks and drinks in a small basket, she hardly noticed when a rolling cart shot in front of her. Blinking in surprise, she nearly jumped out of her skin when she was face to face with the man from yesterday.

"Hello, again, Lily," he smirked at her. "What brings you here? Snacks? You having a bad day?"

"Not that it's any of your business, sir, but I am just picking up some snacks for the kids," she added, hoping to scare him off or appeal to his better nature at the mention of children.

"Kids, huh? You look a bit young to be a mommy," he noted.

"What did you say your name was? It's only fair considering you know mine," she added.

"Gregory," he said.

"Well, Gregory, I really have to go," she added, quickly making her way to a register.

"I'm sure the kiddos are in school right now and won't miss mommy for a bit," he smirked, following her to her register.

"Their father will notice my absence," she said loudly, trying to convey to the cashier that something was wrong. The cashier only seemed to be nervously glancing between the two.

"And where is their father?"

"He works at the hospital," she quipped, wanting the cashier to rush with her groceries.

"At work right now? I'm sure he won't know a thing," he added, trying to be seductive.

"Mr. Gregory, it has never been a pleasure. Thank you for checking my groceries, have a lovely day," she said, addressing the cashier before practically running to her car. She only hoped he wouldn't hurt the cashier in broad daylight.

Making her way home, she was surprised to find her phone blowing up.

"Hello?" she answered as she drove.

"What were you doing with him?" Alice asked frantically. "We're already on edge because of Edward and then I see you being confronted by that man?!"

"I'm fine, I had to get some groceries. What happened to Edward?" Lily asked worriedly.

"He saved a human girl and nearly revealed what he was to humans!" she heard Rosalie yell.

"I'm sure he'll explain his actions to the rest of us once everyone's home. Please try to not get too angry until we know the whole story," she reasoned, which they all agreed to.

Sighing and taking a deep breath from the adrenaline rush from the confrontation, she parked and unloaded her small load of groceries. Changing into Carlisle's pajamas, grabbing her pillows and fluffy comforter, she made her way to the living room couch. She made herself a little nest of pillows and the comforter, had all her snacks and the tub of ice cream laid out next to her on the coffee table pulled to her, and she played some Disney movies. By the time the rest of the Cullens got home from school, she was done with most of her candy and done with her sherbet. She was also crying because she had gotten to the part of Princess Diaries 2 where she feels that she's been betrayed by Nicholas to look like a scandalous princess.

"Mia, wait! He didn't do it! It was his snake of an uncle!" she yelled, sniffling as she watched the movie intently.

"Aww, mom, don't be sad! They have a happy ending," Emmett teased, making Lily blink in surprise that they were home.

Wiping her tears away, she tried to get up from her little nest.

"Don't worry, mom. We've gotta have the talk in here anyways," Rosalie soothed, before glaring at Edward.

"Edward, what happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, really," he sighed. "If I had let her die her blood would have been spilt everywhere and I could've gone into a frenzy. That would've been worse than this!" he frowned.

"That's an excuse and you know it," Rosalie ground out. Frowning, Rosalie quickly ascended the stairs to her room followed by Emmett. Jasper had one way to rectify the situation, but he wasn't about to voice his opinion with both Alice and Lily present. For one, his wife wouldn't be too happy, and in Lily's case, she was murdered very recently. He could only internally sigh as he followed his wife to their room. Edward decided to join Lily during her movie marathon until Carlisle got home.

"So what is she like?" Lily asked suddenly, still watching the movie. Edward was surprised.

"You want to know about Bella?"

"Of course I want to know about her! She seems important to you," she added gently.

"Well, Rosalie is right. I shouldn't have gotten too close to her. I need to distance myself from her," he frowned.

"You're only going to hurt yourself and Bella. Whatever you decided, I'll stand behind you," she smiled, patting his hand lightly in comfort. Edward gave a small smile and headed off to his room. Lily was confused by his sudden departure until Carlisle appeared in Edward's place.

"Carlisle!" she beamed, jumping into his arms. Laughing, he embraced her deeply.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, before noticing all the snacks. "You went shopping?"

"Yes, I was getting too lonely in here, but I should've stayed home. That man 'bumped' into me while I was there. He gave me the name Gregory, though I hardly believe it's his real name. Then he aggressively tried to persuade me to go with him, even after I said I had a family waiting for me," she frowned. "He seems different, more confident and predatory than that night that he murdered me. I'm frightened."

"Shh you're safe now darling. You shouldn't leave without one of us when you're not at school or work," he advised. She nodded, relaxing into his hold as they continued to watch movies. She ended up falling asleep on him. As he placed her in bed, he was stopped from joining her by Alice at the door.

"We need to talk," she said. He nodded, finding everyone gathered downstairs in the kitchen.

"So why are we here?" Rosalie asked. "It is because of Edward." Edward was about to snap something back when Alice cut him off.

"It's Lily."

That got everyone's attention. "That man plans to make her a new victim. I've been doing some research. He's become quite the infamous serial killer. He's had twenty victims including Mina since 1998, making her his first kill. Since Mina, he's more of a rapist and serial killer. I also found out his signature for his kills are a missing right hand, which I found out happened to Mina. He wants to do this to Lily," she growled. The rest of the family soon had to control their anger.

"We have to kill him first! He's killed and raped 20 women already; who's to say when he'll stop," Emmett roared. Rosalie was just as livid, ready to hunt the man down.

Carlisle was still. For the first time in hundreds of years, he wanted to hunt a human. Make him feel ten thousand times the terror Mina and the other women felt as he tortured and murdered them. Edward was surprised by the darkness of his thoughts, but he could understand how Carlisle was towards his mate.

Carlisle sighed before cooling his thoughts down.

"Should we tell Lily?" Rosalie asked gently.

"Tell me what?" Lily asked, wiping her eyes tiredly having been woken up by Emmett's roar. They all froze, uncertain what to do, especially when she looked so innocent.

"That man plans to kill you," Emmett growled, unable to say it any more tactfully. At that, Lily really woke up.

"WH-what?!" she shrieked, looking to Carlisle helplessly. "Why?"

"It seems you were his first kill," Rosalie said gently, smacking Emmett for just rushing in with that.

"First?" she gulped. "So he's killed others," she frowned, tearing up. The group only nodded as they let the information sink in. "How could anyone do such a thing?" she cried, falling to her knees as she thought of the countless other people who he could've killed. Carlisle kneeled beside her and caught her before she hit the ground too hard, embracing her tightly. "How many?" she whispered. The room was silent for a long moment.

"Twenty," Alice said softly. The room seemed to be saturated in Lily's agony, though Jasper desperately tried to reign it in. The lights began to flicker in the house and a strange wind began to toss their hair around. Lily's body began to phase in and out of focus, her eyes glowing white.

"Lily? MINA?!" Carlisle called out to her, shaking her as he tried to get her attention. "Mina, listen to me! You're safe! We can protect you if you let us! He will never hurt another person again!" he shouted, his voice nearly lost in the wild winds. "Mina, I love you. Please, return to me!"

Slowly, the winds died down. The lights stopped flickering but they stayed out. The glow in her eyes faded until she blinked, revealing her saddened eyes.

"Mina?" he asked gently, coaxing her to look at him. "I know you don't want revenge. What can we do to stop him?"

As Mina looked to her family, all with concerned looks on their faces, she knew that they could easily kill him. She had never wished death upon anyone, but if it was to save others…

* * *

 **A.N. Mina's murderer is a career killer, one still out for the flesh and blood of innocents. This is where I leave it up to you! Either in the reviews or PMs, I want you guys to vote. Should I A) Have the Cullens kill him quickly B) Have the Cullens kill him tortuously C) Have a way to have him arrested and tried for murder D) something else that you suggest. I will hold off on writing the next chapter until I can get some sort of answer from you guys (I might do a fluffy filler or Q & A if I don't get any votes-even one will do!). I really love when you guys are part of the story making process!**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	15. Filler Chapter (1)

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you Goldielover, Kiley S. Snape, Gissung, Akatsukilover34, and Guest for reviewing! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing. Also, thank you so much for all the favorites and follows (I'm not sure if you want me to post a shout-out to y'all but I can if you'd like).**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. Also another disclaimer to Disney for Oliver and Company (an adorable movie). I hope you enjoy!**

 **P. S. PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END FOR AN EXPLANATION FOR THIS FILLER**

* * *

 **FILLER CHAPTER (1)**

 **~Saturday, November 26th, 1988: Forks, Washington**

The Woods family spent their Saturday mornings sleeping in a bit since it was the weekend. But today was something special, since Chaz and Sophie Woods had a surprise for their children. All the children, the eldest at 12 to the youngest at 6, sat bleary-eyed around the table eating their breakfast quietly. They all looked so similar, with dark messy brown curls and dark eyes, their dark skin from playing outside so different from some of the other kids in town.

"Now, I know you guys are wondering why we woke you all up?" their father, Chaz, said with a smirk.

"Your father and I decided that since a certain movie came out that we should go see it," their mother, Sophie, smiled. At the mention of 'movie,' the kids all woke up and gave their parents their full attention.

"What is it? What are we going to see?" Molly, the eldest, asked. Mia nodded, agreeing with Molly's question. Mia followed Molly like a shadow, always looking up to her sister only a year her senior.

"What?! What?! What?!" Milo and Mina, the twins, bounced excited in their chairs. These two were very hyper once you got them going, even if they weren't the babies of the family.

"We don't want to ruin the surprise!" their father laughed.

"Go get ready so we can leave," their mother smiled, laughing when all the kids ran up the stairs to get dressed.

Their parents let the kids dress how they want, which was never too weird or extreme. Molly dressed in a white button-up, a light lavender sweater over that, and dark purple pants and matching bow in her pony-tail. Mia dressed identically except that she wore pink instead of purple. Milo and Mina loved matching, so they wore overalls with yellow T-shirts, with Mina wearing yellow bows in her two pig-tails. Miko, at 7, was going through a dinosaur phase as he wore a bright red shirt with a green dinosaur on it with blue jeans. And Manny, the youngest at 6, wore a white button-up, a blue sweater-vest, red tie that his father helped put on, and khaki pants. He loved to dress like his father did.

They piled up into their van and made it to the movie theatres. While waiting for the movie, they all took turns playing air-hockey in the arcade room. Milo and Mina were the most competitive, nearly having to be yanked off to let the others play. Once it was about ten minutes before the movie started, they all go their little boxes with popcorn, a drink, and candy. They laughed, they cried, and they left with good memories before heading home.

The rest of the day was spent playing outside together, Manny having started a mud fight which turned into an all-out mud war between the kids. At first, Molly and Mia berated Mina for playing like a boy, so Milo defended his sister by flinging some mud at them both, which got them to retaliate as well.

Once they were all nice and clean, Milo and Mina were giggling in their bunk bed (Milo being brave and having taken the top bunk).

"Milo," she whispered up to him.

"Yeah?" he whispered back.

"Can we make the song our song?" she asked him, referring to the movie they saw.

"Yeah! We can ask Mommy and Daddy to teach us!" he beamed, smiling as he hung over the railing to see Mina's smiling face.

Giggling, Mina had to wait by their bedroom door for Milo to climb down. They both tiptoed to their parents' room to find they parents both reading a book.

"Milo, Mina, what are you doing out of bed?" their mother asked, confused.

"Can you teach us the song?" Mina pleaded, looking up at her mother with big puppy-dog eyes.

"What song?" her father laughed, scooping her up in his arms. Their mother scooped up Milo as well.

"The song from the movie! We want it to be our song!" Milo said determinedly.

"I see. Well, what do you remember and we can join you," their father smiled. After a few tries, they went back to their room and got back under their covers. But the two sang the song, sleepily and barely loud enough for each other to hear. But they would end up singing it more times than they could ever count.

 _"_ _You and me together we'll be. Forever you'll see. We two can be good company, you and me. Yes, together we two. Together, that's you. Forever with me. We'll always be good company, you and me. Yes, together we'll be."_

 _..._

 _"_ _You and me together we'll be. Forever, you'll see. We'll always be good company, you and me. Just wait and see,"_ Milo sang. Tears streaming down his cheeks which were paler than they should've been. His eyes held large bags and his normally sparkling eyes dull. He sang softly, kneeling down and placing a single yellow rose and a fun-fetti cupcake with sprinkles and a candle on the tomb that laid before him.

It was their birthday. His birthday. The rest of the family was at home packing. But he couldn't do it. He had to come on their special day. His mother cried when she saw him baking their favorite cupcakes. His father quickly taking her to their room to be alone. His older sisters had finished their exams when all this happened, and so they were around to help pack up in his stead. The boys hadn't gone back to school even weeks after what happened. And he was alone and confused.

He had come home from his first year of college. It had been a struggle being there without Mina already, and he'd just come in from taking exams. He didn't even get to see her before she left for work. They were going to see each other for the first time in weeks (which was an awfully long time for them). He didn't even get to say goodbye.

Overcome by his grief and loneliness, he pounded onto the ground. The mud from the freshly dug grave clinging to his hands as he screamed out. Sobbing as he laid by her grave, he kept muttering and praying—hoping anyone could hear him.

"Why her? She never did something wrong! Take me! Or let me get that sorry excuse of a man and kill him myself!" he raged. Something inside him knew it was a man. He also knew that when the police found her car abandoned by the roadside, that she must've thought someone was in trouble and needed to help. And he nearly cursed her sweet heart.

"Sir, are you alright?" a soft voice asked. Startled, Milo turned to find a beautiful young woman holding an umbrella over both herself and him. He hadn't even noticed that it started raining. The girl had dark skin with a slightly pale hue to it, with tight ebony curls and dark eyes that seemed to sparkle with a fiery spirit. 'Mina's eyes used to sparkle like that' he thought, his heart clenching in pain at the thought. He looked down and back to his twin's tombstone, which made the girl look at the details. "Her birthday was today? I'm so sorry," she said, tearing up as she connected the dots. "You must've really loved her."

"I do," he whimpered at the pain of having to admit her being gone. "She's my world. My other half. I don't know what I'll do without her," he sobbed, unable to hold it in in front of this beautiful stranger.

"I know what you mean," she said softly. "I'm here for my cousin. She was like a little sister to me," she said, motioning to the procession that was scattering not too far away from Mina's grave. "She was raped and murdered," she said, beginning to cry quietly, no loud sobs or tears escaping her dark eyes but her body shaking with emotion. "He… he violated her… he… he took… he took her hand?!" she wept, joining Milo on the ground. He froze at the similarities as he faced the girl.

"He killed my sister, too," he said, trying to give comfort to the girl. "He… he didn't rape her. But he took her hand, too," he whimpered. Every time he had to give details, which he tried not to, he couldn't help but think of the pain she went through. He can still remember than night. The night she didn't come home. He felt something in his heart twist painfully. His parents had asked if he was alright, but he said it was probably heartburn. But he had been wrong.

The girl stopped crying to look up at him for a moment. Both had lost their sisters to a horrible villain. That kind of pain sometimes bonds people in a way that they could never have imagined.

"I'm Milo," he said, offering a hand to her as he stood up.

"I'm Mary," she said, accepting his hand.

* * *

 **A.N. So by Saturday night as I'm typing this, it appears that the voting is split down about 50/50. A HUGE thank you to Zeroofshadow and the rest of the chat from Tokki88's stream on 10-22/23-2016 from Twitch for helping me work out the messy bits of the case. I needed a little more time to write out what I was able to come up with so here is a filler chapter to tide you guys until later. And it is a filler as well as a little sneak-peek into the aftermath of what happened. I have a little more in store for her brother, Milo! I really love when you guys are part of the story making process!**

 **Also, I'm about half-way done with my Disney's Descendant's fanfic. Let me know if you are interested in reading that one! I always work on more than one story so I'm not getting totally spent with just one story. If I get stuck, I can switch back and forth.**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	16. Chapter 1-13

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you for reviewing! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing. Also, thank you so much for all the favorites and follows (I'm not sure if you want me to post a shout-out to y'all but I can if you'd like).**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

 **WARNING! GRAPHIC/MATURE CONTENT AHEAD! WARNING!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

 **~Tuesday, January 25th, 2005: Forks, Washington**

"There's no way to let the judicial system take care of this?" Mina asked meekly. Murder seemed a bit extreme but also just a quick punishment. He'd taken the lives of so many already, she felt he at least deserved to spend the rest of his life paying for it.

The room was silent, Carlisle withholding from growling at the suggestion.

"I suppose…" he sighed, not wanting to upset Mina further.

"How are we supposed to do that?" Emmett pouted.

"I don't know, try to find evidence against him?" she thought aloud.

"The police have yet to get this guy," Emmett growled.

"But you're not the police! You're strong vampires," she told him soothingly. The group seemed to consider her words. "We have to try," she finished. None of them looked happy, but considering how fragile Mina seemed at the moment, they weren't going to push it.

"Alright, Mom," Emmett pouted. He quickly scooped her up in his arms. "We'll get him for ya, just you watch!" he boomed. Mina couldn't help but to start laughing at how childish he was being.

"Okay, okay! I'm off to bed again," she yawned, her tiredness getting to her. "I have class in the morning, as do the rest of you," she teased, knowing full well that they'd probably still be up plotting.

Two weeks dragged by. Everywhere she went, she realized that Gregory seemed to follow her around. At school, at her work, when she went to any store in town. He was a constant shadow.

Lily was still the outstanding student and worker, but Mina was slowly withering into a heap of mangled emotions. Mina felt that she had to be a happy 'Lily,' even to her family, but there was no 'Lily' with Carlisle. Every night, Carlisle would soothe Mina to sleep. Mina would stay watching the doors, windows, shaking like a leaf. And her night terrors only began to get worse, with Mina reliving her torturous murder night after night. The other Cullens acted like they didn't know about her nightmares, but there were some nights that no one could wake her from her screams.

It was on the following Friday that Mina had finally had enough. She was tired of being terrified, tired of being paranoid and watching her back. She was going to finish this once and for all. The guys had already tracked him and kept an eye on him. Gregory seemed to be staying at a seedy motel, so he didn't have too many belongings to track back to anything. So she needed to get the real dirt.

Leaving from work, she almost was happy to see Gregory seeming to be chatting on his phone by his car a few spots away from her own. She slipped her own phone into the side of her shoe as quickly as she could. There was a sense of relief that it was going to end. Quickly shielding herself from Alice's visions, she made her way to Gregory.

"Hello," she said. "What are you doing here?" she asked. Gregory jumped, startled to see her before him. He quickly regained his composure and smirked at her.

"Hey, sweetness. You ready to hang out with a real man?" he asked.

She knew this was now or never. Steeling her nerves, she nodded and followed him as he opened his car door for her. There was no turning back from this.

"So what made you change your mind?" he asked as he started the car.

"Well, things just got so boring at home," she lied, trying to make herself appear calm and confident. "So what do you have in mind?"

"Sorry to do this to you sweet cheeks, but I can't have you know where we're going," he said suddenly, his fist flashing to her temple. No pain flashed, thankfully, but she made herself go limp as if she were unconscious. "Such an easy bitch," he said softly. Something inside her squirmed, wondering just how far he was willing to go.

They drive for about thirty minutes before he pulls in somewhere and parks. He carries her bridal style, Mina peeking to see that she's at some abandoned-looking home in the middle of nowhere. She is surprised by this turn of events but she stays in character as he carries her up some stairs and into a bedroom. Mina nearly tenses when she feel ropes restraining her hands.

After tying her to the bed, he left the room. When she couldn't hear him near the room, she quickly maneuvered herself so that she could reach for her phone in her shoe. Dialing 911, she waited anxiously as the phone rang.

 _"_ _Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?"_ the operator asked, a young man's voice clear through the phone.

"Help, I've been taken," she pleaded, trying to sound as anxious as possible. She channeled all her fear from her nightmares.

" _Who has taken you and where are you?_ "

"He said his name is Gregory. He had been pestering me and knocked me out. I don't know where I am. It's just some abandoned-looking house surrounded by trees."

" _Try to stay on the line while we get your signal tracked_ ," the operator said. _"We'll get some units dispatched into the area. Are you in any immediate danger?"_

"No. He's gone. I can't hear him near the room I'm tied up in," she said.

" _You're restrained?_ " he said, shocked.

"Yes, though I'm trying to find a way out." She sighed, knowing that to do this, she'd have to do this without using her powers. She started to wiggle herself out of the ropes when she heard him returning. "He's here!" she whispered. "Can you record this?"

" _It's recording_ ," the operator said quietly. She hid the phone underneath the bed before feigning sleep.

Lily nearly tenses as she hears his steps coming up the stairs. The door creaks open slowly and she hears him near the bed. She jumps in surprise when water is poured over her. Coughing and sputtering, she looks to him with wide fearful eyes.

"Time to wake up, Sleeping Beauty," he smirks.

"Gregory, what are we doing here?" she asks weakly.

"Isn't it obvious? I thought you said you wanted a little fun," he teased, creeping towards the bed like a predator toying with his prey.

"What's going on? Why am I bound?" she demanded. He lunged at her and smacked her.

"This is what you get for being an easy whore!" he growled. "I would've gotten you eventually, but you took the fun out of the hunt by coming with me easily."

"Why are you like this?" she asked. "How could you do this to anyone?" He paused for a moment, savoring the look.

"You remind me of her," he muttered. "The first girl I ever killed. I didn't mean to kill her. But she was so sweet, so innocent. She stopped by to help me. It was so easy. Every time a woman was near, I always thought how easy it would be to knock them to the ground and take them. I only ever held back because I'd grown up that taking what you want was 'bad.' But nobody ever got anything from being the 'good guy.' That night, she was so radiant like a prize waiting to be snatched. So I gave in. I dragged her into the woods. I had every intention of claiming that sweet body of hers. But she was feisty. Even with a shot to the leg, she ran on. Pleaded with me, begged me to let her go. I had wanted her begging for more underneath me. But she wasn't going to be any fun now that her body was tainted by my bullets. So I ended her. And only a few days later did I get to have some real fun. But I was still unsatisfied. No matter how much sex I had, none of the feelings lasted. It's because I never got to enjoy the first.

"Mina, I learned her name was. The funeral was sweet. She had a large family. Her sisters looked lovely, too, but they were already young ladies. They didn't shine like she did. So I waited. It's been a while since I've had any real pleasure." Mina's heart felt like ice when she realized he had been so close to her family.

"And now you're here with me. If you're a good girl, you'll last a lot longer than the others," he smirked, leaning down and cupping her cheek. In her anger, she bit his hand. Growling loudly, he back-handed her. She tumbled over the side of the bed, making him realize that she had been unbound the whole time. "You're gonna play it that way, huh?!" he growled, lunging at her. Knowing that her cover was blown, she dodged his lunge and made a break for the door.

She is surprised when his body topples hers to the ground.

"Get off!" she screams, loud enough for the phone to pick up. Gregory begins to tear at her clothing when she's had enough. With her super strength, she punches him straight in the face making him fly off of her. He sits up slowly, spitting out blood from his busted lip.

She makes her way down the stairs when her foot slips, making her tumble down the stairs and land roughly on the corner of a drawer. Lily is stunned from the slip, her confidence forgotten as he towers over her.

"I underestimated you," he sneered. He kneeled down and grabbed her roughly by the cheek. "This ends now," he growled, digging a pocket knife into her side roughly. She felt like the wind was taken from her, and she froze as the night she was murdered consumed her mind.

She was jarred from her thoughts as the door was burst open. Gregory's body was thrown off of her but her vision was still cloudy from fear.

" _Miss, can you hear me?_ " a voice called out. She felt her body being touched by someone and she began to thrash out weakly. " _She's been stabbed! We need medical attention, NOW!"_

" _An ambulance is almost here_ ," someone else said.

" _She's unresponsive!_ "

 **"** **Mina!"**

 _"_ _Miss!"_

 **"** **Mina, my darling!"**

"Carlisle?" she whimpered.

 _"_ _She's talking. What's your name?"_

 **"** **Mina, love, stay awake for me!"**

"Carlisle, I'm… awake…"

 _"_ _Carlisle? Carlisle Cullen?"_ someone asked.

 **"** **I love you,"** Carlisle said, smiling down at her. Mina reached up, her hand not reaching his cheek.

"… Love… you…" she smiled weakly, her hand dropping from spent energy.

 _"_ _We're losing her!"_ they yelled.

* * *

 **A.N. HAPPY HALLOWEEN! And this is Chapter 13 as well! I didn't intend for that but I'm happy regardless. Please be safe and have fun!**

 **And so his intentions are revealed. There is still much to be done with 'Gregory'—this is only the beginning. Thank you to everyone who voted and a** **HUGE thank you to Zeroofshadow and the rest of the chat from Tokki88's stream on 10-22/23-2016 from Twitch for helping me work out the messy bits of the case.**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	17. Chapter 1-14

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you Kiley S. Snape, Lelleg, and Goldielover for reviewing! Although I've heard there are some issues with reviews on the site, I do get your reviews in my email even if they don't show up immediately on FF. I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing. Also, thank you so much for all the favorites and follows (I'm not sure if you want me to post a shout-out to y'all but I can if you'd like).**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. Also, Disclaimer to the Beatles song lyrics in the chapter—I adore the version from Across the Universe though it came out after these events. I hope you enjoy!**

 **WARNING! GRAPHIC/MATURE CONTENT AHEAD! WARNING!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

 **~Saturday, February 12** **th** **, 2005: Forks, Washington**

Blinking, Mina found herself in a blank whiteness. She walked around, trying to find a sign of life when a voice called out to her.

 **Mina.**

"Here I am," she said. "Who's there?"

 **Mina, you meant to be reborn for your mate. But you lingered too long. So I have made some arrangements to help you carry on in this life.**

"You're who made me alive again?" she asked surprised.

 **Do not be afraid. Things have gotten quite muddled but there is nothing that I can't do.**

"What do you mean? What did you do?" she asked, curious.

 **I gave you a new life. The facts I shall place in your memory so that you can say the right things:**

 **Your parents gave you up for adoption since they were teens. Your DNA is slightly altered so that it won't register as Mina Woods. They ended up passing away a few years later in a car accident. You went through the adoption system and your adoptive parents passed away while you were in school in Alaska, where you met the Cullens. You fell in love with Carlisle there and decided to move down here when you could, not liking a long distance relationship. You have a small fortune from your adoptive parents' inheritance that you haven't used much of.**

"Wow. Thank you so much," she smiled. All of a sudden, she begins to feel a huge pressure. Building up, with a sudden burst, she felt herself fall into darkness.

Lily started to slowly wake up. She felt groggy as she blurrily opened her eyes. Shifting in her bed, she was about to go back to sleep when she realized that this wasn't her bed. Blinking, she was surprised to see Carlisle asleep at her side. Blinking once more, she realized that her eyes weren't betraying her.

"Carlisle?" she whispered. Immediately, Carlisle's eyes flashed open, the darkness worrying her terribly. "What's wrong, love?"

"What's wrong? Love, you're hurt when you shouldn't be hurt," he whimpered. She was shocked that he seemed so broken.

Reaching a tired, shaking hand to his face, he grasped her hand and relaxed as the two were connected once more.

"I had to know," she whispered. He sighed, placing a kiss to her hand and wrist as he looked at her.

"We were so worried! Alice had a vision that you were taken by him and we went on a frenzy looking for you! I got the call for you from the hospital and I let them know that we were looking for you," he frowned.

"You weren't there? But I saw you," she frowned. Before he could respond, the door was knocked before someone came in. A police officer came in and looked awkwardly at the two.

"Chief Swan," Carlisle greeted. So this was Isabella's father? She hadn't seen him too much as a child, so she never really remembered what he looked like until now.

"You Lily McCarty?" he asked. She nodded, wondering what was going on. "We have the recording from the operator that can be held against him. That place," he started, looking to her in hesitation. She waved for him to continue, to which he sighed. "That place held his trophy room. All the past murders that we couldn't find a name to, they were all him. He's known as the Handy Man. He always took some sort of trophy from his victims, almost always a hand. Once this trial is done with, they can be respectfully buried with their other remains. How did you end up with him yesterday?"

"I was tired of being paranoid. He had some car troubles a few weeks ago and I pulled over to help. He put me on edge, so I made sure he was always in my line of sight. I called a tow truck for him but he seemed to be interested in me. From then on, he seemed to pop up everywhere. He even confronted me the next day at the supermarket! I hated being paranoid so I decided to go with him to see what he wanted. Next thing I know, I'm knocked unconscious and woke up tied to a bed. That's when I called 9-1-1. He hadn't taken my phone and I left in on so that they could figure out where I was."

"That was extremely dangerous and reckless for you to do," he sighed. "But it was brave," he added. "Just be more careful from now on," he said with a little smile before leaving.

Lily looked to Carlisle, worried when he seemed to have an emotionless expression.

"Carlisle?"

"You willingly went with him?" he asked. Lily nodded, a bit hesitant by his reaction.

"I told Chief Swan the truth! I was so tired of being scared. I meant to call you but the operator wouldn't let me get a hold of you guys," she started rambling, until Carlisle took her in his arms.

"Although I'm disappointed that you didn't let us in on what you planned, I am just thankful that you're safe now and that that man is behind bars," he sighed.

"Carlisle, love, something happened while I was out," she said. She quickly briefed him on what she learned.

"I know love," he smiled.

"You know? How?" she asked, surprised.

"While you were out, all of us realized that we had new memories, new information, which goes with what the voice told you and us. The voice also told me that your body is human enough to pass through examinations, but you still have your ghostly abilities and some more vampiric abilities so that you can be safe with us. These events made you weak for now and once all this is over, you should be at your best," Carlisle revealed. She laid back down, taking in this new information.

"So now what?" she asked Carlisle.

"Well, now they are going to be processing all the evidence found in his headquarters. I also heard that they should be notifying the other victim's families soon. That means your family as well," he said seriously. "The voice told me that they shouldn't be able to recognize you since because your body has been altered in the minds of everyone aside from us. But you might still have to face them in trial."

Lily was silent for a while. She loved Carlisle and his family, but the chance to see her family again sent an ache through her heart. Carlisle simply held her hand as she sorted her thoughts and emotions.

Carlisle had his own thoughts to sort out. Although he had to be strong for her, he felt so helpless. She could have died and he would've been too late. As much as the voice had comforted him with filling in some gaps and things he was worried about without revealing what they were, Carlisle recognized that this was only the beginning.

A knock roused them both from their thoughts, Carlisle slightly annoyed by that fact that they weren't alone anymore. The room was quickly flooded with Cullens.

"MOM!" Emmett boomed, zooming to give her a big hug. Her side became aggravated, making her wince a bit. He was quickly smacked by Rosalie as she noticed Lily's pain.

"Gentle," she chided.

"Sorry, Mom," he frowned. Lily smiled at his childishness and patted his hand soothingly. "Mom, I have a song to make you feel better," he smiled. Everyone was thoroughly confused by this until Edward sighed.

" _Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let him into your heart, then you can start to make it better. Hey Jude, don't be afraid. You were made to go out and get him. The minute you let him under your skin, then you begin to make it better._

 _"_ _And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain. Don't carry the world upon your shoulder. For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool by making his world a little colder._ "

The room was silent until Rosalie ground out, "You named her 'Jude' so that you could sing that?"

Lily burst out laughing, releasing the tension in the room. "Well, I certainly don't mind," she giggled.

"So how are you feeling?" Rosalie asked.

"Better, now," she smiled fondly at them.

"I've gotten a lawyer contacted about all of this. If we need him, he can represent you during the trail," Jasper said softly. Lily smiled to him gratefully, not knowing how to handle all the legalities of the situation.

"So now all you have to do is rest and get better, my crazy girl," Carlisle chuckled, holding up the hand he held and kissing it. Lily blushed, relaxing into the pillow.

The rest of the day was spent laughing and talking together, much like any other day at the Cullen household. When it came for visiting hours to end, Carlisle stayed with her.

"Don't you have to go home, too?" she asked, curious.

"I have a spare uniform in my office here. I plan on 'spending the night' here and then working," he explained. Nodding her head, he soothed her to sleep by running his hand through her hair and humming gently. "Everything will be okay, love. You'll see," he smiled softly as she relaxed in his hands.

* * *

 **A.N. So some answers to what happened and what is coming up! When deciding her middle name, I had been listening to Hey Jude from Across the Universe and had this idea that Emmett would sing it sometime soon. I'm kinda winging it on how things in the trial process will go (considering I don't know much) so if you have any tips or ideas, please let me know!**

 **I'm considering posting on Twitter when I write or when I plan on uploading. Let me know if you think this is a good idea on if you guys would like updates. I could possibly do voting for story ideas there as well.**

 **Thank you to everyone who voted and** **a HUGE thank you to Tokki88 from Tokki88's stream on 11-6/7-2016 from Twitch for choosing the nickname for the killer (The Handy Man). I wanted a serious name, but when he gave the name we both chuckled and I couldn't NOT use it.**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	18. Chapter 1-15

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you so much for all the reviews, favorites, and follows (I'm not sure if you want me to post a shout-out to y'all but I can if you'd like). I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing.**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. Also, Disclaimer to Ever After (1998) and the song I Can't Help Falling in Love. I hope you enjoy!**

 **PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

 **~Monday, February 14** **th** **, 2005: Forks, Washington**

Lily woke up that morning to a silent hospital room. The day before was spent resting and enjoying Carlisle's breaks in between his shift. It was now common knowledge that the two were dating, which most of the nurses found infuriating until they saw the state she was in. Although there were still quite a few jealous nurses, none were outwardly hostile and hardly stepped in the room. It kind of made her laugh to see some of her old classmates steamed up about who she was dating, knowing that if they knew she was Mina that they would have little objections.

Carlisle seemed to have found the nicest nurse to take care of her, a woman in her mid-fifties that was married with two adult children. Maggie was slightly taller than her at 5'5" with a blond bob cut made for ease of maintenance and a warm freckled face and smiling hazel eyes. She had made Lily laugh when Maggie chided off some nurses away from the window.

This morning, Maggie seemed extra chipper.

"Good morning, little miss Lily," she smiled. Lily always couldn't help but smile at the greeting, it reminded her of her mother when she was a child, except she was little miss Mina.

"Good morning, Maggie. You seem quite radiant this morning," she smiled.

"Of course! My husband sent me off with a lovely rose and a sweet kiss," she beamed, motioning to the rose clamped on her clipboard.

"How romantic," she smiled.

"Don't you know what day it is?" Maggie smiled mischievously. It nearly threw Lily off with such an expression. "It's Valentine's Day."

"Oh, I've lost track of the days already," Lily laughed, and her statement was true. She hadn't worried about the date with everything happening. It also reminded her that she needed to call her teachers. "May I borrow a phone? I need to let my classes and work know that I can't come in."

The rest of the morning was spent letting them know that she wasn't able to come in for a while. They were all quite sympathetic to her situation and her teachers emailed her the future notes so she could try to finish the class online. Her job was put on hold, the librarian saying that she was always welcome back. By the time she finished contacting everyone she needed to, it was lunch time.

Maggie stepped in, holding the door open as Carlisle wheeled in her lunch. Lily was touched by his effort. On the tray was vase with three beautiful roses and a lovely lunch of spaghetti with meatballs, garlic bread, and sweet tea.

"This is lovely, Carlisle," she smiled, pulling him in for a sweet kiss when he was close enough to her.

"The girls brought it during their lunch break. It's from a little café in town," he smiled. "The boys brought the roses." And pulling out a small velvet box, he got down on one knee. Maggie nearly fainted in joy while Lily was wide-eyed in surprise. "And I've brought the ring," he smiled, though only Lily could tell he was slightly nervous.

"Lily, I had this ring before the 'incident'," he said, lightly glaring at her at his light term of 'incident', "but this has made your life all the more precious to me. Any day, something could happen to us. You have brought life and love to my life that was missing. I have my wonderful children, and our family is a package deal. But you know and love them just as much as I do, sometimes even more so. So I ask as a man in love, I would feel like a king if you, Lily Jude McCarty, would be my wife?" he said so lovingly.

Her heart felt like it stopped. Not only had he proposed to her, he did so quoting one of her most favorite movie scenes. Tears falling freely down her cheeks, she smiled brightly as she jumped into his arms and kissed him deeply. It was only a moment later that she felt the pain of her stitches tugging at the sudden movement.

"Darling! Careful," he gasped, helping her back onto the bed and checking her stitches. They seemed fine but a little tender. "I'll take that as a 'Yes'?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Yes, yes, a million times, YES!" she giggled. Maggie's happy sniffling alerted them to the fact that they were not alone.

"Oh, you two remind me of my husband and me. I'll leave you alone," she winked, leaving the room. They both looked to each other, laughing loudly in happiness.

"Carlisle, love, do you really mean it? You want to marry me?" she asked, blushing prettily. He kissed her forehead, trailing to her nose, before stopping next to her lips.

"I love you, Lily, Mina, whoever you are in the future," he teased. "I love you, and I want to marry you and only you," he smiled. Slipping on the ring, she looked to the simple gold band with a single small diamond in the center. Smiling, she grabbed his face and kissed him deeply. Parting from her when she needed air, he laughed before putting a finger to her lips before she carried on.

"What's wrong?" she asked innocently. He laughed before motioning to the cooling lunch.

"Well, for one, I don't want you to pull at your stitches more. Two, you have lunch to finish missy," he laughed.

The two enjoyed their quite lunch together, their smiles unable to be wiped off their faces.

"So what does this mean? I've never been to a wedding and I have no idea where we'd start," she blushed.

"Alice and Rosalie have had plenty of weddings. It's up to you how much you want to do and for how long you want the engagement period to be," he smiled easily.

"Well, how long do you want to wait?" she asked, curious.

"I'm content to wait as long as you do, love. I am a vampire and I'm centuries old. I'm the visage of patience," he teased.

"Sure," she teased back. Patting her full belly as she flopped back onto the bed, she smiled at his gentle smile. "I think I would like a small wedding in our garden," she smiled, picturing it. "It'd be cute if it was just us."

"That sounds perfect, love. Though Alice probably would prefer you to have a grand wedding," he laughed.

"It's our wedding love. We don't need all the extra stuff," she smiled. "I just need you and our family."

"So when do you think we should have the wedding?" Carlisle asked.

"I'm not quite sure, but I would like to do at least a yearlong engagement. My parents did that," she smiled, remembering the stories and photos that she saw as a little girl.

"Then we have quite a while to plan. We can always discuss it later," he smiled, kissing her softly before rising. "Back to work for me, love. I'll be back for dinner." Waving, he left the room.

Sighing softly, she smiled blissfully at what just happened. She unknowingly dozed off, a combination of the food and happiness hitting her tired body.

"CONGRATULATIONS!" Emmett boomed, jarring Lily awake into a sitting position. She winced, holding her side as her body relaxed. A smack was quickly heard and Emmett looked like a wounded puppy, Rosalie frowning.

"Welcome to the family," Alice beamed, flitting to the bedside. All the Cullens besides Carlisle were present in the room. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing alright, it's just tender," Lily smiled.

"So when do you want to get married? What about your dress? Theme?" Alice fired.

"Alice, hun, I am in no rush to get married to Carlisle. I wanted at least a year for the engagement and as for the dress and theme, I want to discuss those with him," she giggled, her eyes glancing down to her hand.

"Oooh, the ring! I want to see," Rosalie gushed, taking Lily's hand in her own. She was surprised by its simplicity, but she knew that it was made of a strong material that would last damage from a vampire. "It's lovely," she smiled.

"I adore it," she smiled. "I only wished I could get something for Carlisle today," she frowned.

"Well, we could always get it for you! What would you want to get for him?" she asked.

"Well, I saw that they have snow globes that you can put pictures in. But I don't have any pictures or anything that we could put in," she thought aloud.

"You mean something like this?" Alice asked, holding up a wrapped up package.

"Alice! How did you know?" she asked, overjoyed.

"Have you forgotten that I can see the subjective future? When you saw this and were planning on getting it, I thought it was an adorable idea. But with everything going on, I knew that you wouldn't be able to get it. So I got the snow globe, Edward and Jasper tweaked it to play "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You," and Emmett and Rosalie wrapped it," Alice smiled.

Lily hugged them all tearfully and hit the package under her bed. They decided to let her rest and they left a little afterwards.

Lily woke up to Carlisle coming back in with dinner.

"Did I really sleep that long?" she asked tiredly. Carlisle came and kissed her forehead lightly.

"Your body is healing, love," he smiled. "I brought chicken parmesan and angel hair pasta this time, and some raspberry sherbet for dessert." He set the food on the tray over her waist and added a white rose to the three from earlier.

"Oh, Carlisle, I have something for you! Alice and the others were able to get it for me and wrap it up," she smiled, motioning to under the bed.

Carlisle smiled, reaching under and taking the package in his hands. He was surprised to find it a beautiful silver snow globe. On the inside was a picture that someone had taken of them talking in their garden! Carlisle was looking on lovingly to Lily, a large smile on his face as Lily was giggling and looking at him with the same large smile. It reminded him of how Lily made him feel so youthful, a young man in love. The picture was surrounded by silver swirls and hearts. On the outside stand was engraved "Carlisle and Lily for all time" in cursive. He also found that the engraved part could be exchanged for future name changes.

"Twist the bottom," Lily smiled, motioning excitedly.

Following her prompting, his smile softened as a slow music-box version of "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" began to play.

" _Wise men say only fools rush in. But I can't help falling in love with you. Shall I say 'would it be a sin if I can't help falling in love with you?' Like a river flows to the sea, so it goes, some things are meant to be,"_ Lily sang softly.

" _Take my hand; take my whole life too. For I can't help falling in love with you_ ," Carlisle sang, surprising Lily with his lovely tenor voice.

" _I can't help falling in love with you_ ," they finished together, joining for a sweet kiss.

* * *

 **A.N. A wedding! A wedding! We're going to have a wedding! (if you know that quote, it's such a cute movie) Yes, this honestly surprised me, too, as I was writing it! I guess I was inspired considering both my sister and brother are getting married. Speaking of which, my brother is getting married this coming weekend on Nov. 20** **th** **! I'm a bridesmaid as well as the singer for the wedding so I'm gonna be swamped. The next chapter will be posted the following week on Nov. 28** **th** **or 29** **th** **.**

 **I'm considering posting on Twitter when I write or when I plan on uploading. Let me know if you think this is a good idea on if you guys would like updates. I could possibly do voting for story ideas there as well.**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	19. Chapter 1-16

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you Goldielover and Kay Starlight for the reviews! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing. Thank you so much for all the favorites and follows.**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

 **QUESTION: I'm considering posting on Twitter when I write or when I plan on uploading. Let me know if you think this is a good idea on if you guys would like updates. I could possibly do voting for story ideas there as well.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

 **~Monday, February 28** **th** **, 2005: Forks, Washington**

The week drew on too slowly for Lily's tastes. As much of a patient soul as she is, she got quite bored without being near her family. She got all her assignments and tests done quickly, the books the Cullens brought all finished, and the movies watched. Which is why when Carlisle came and told her she was going home that day when he brought her lunch, she nearly flew out of the bed if Carlisle hadn't stopped her.

"Lily, love, you must be careful. You're going home with the intent to be on bed rest still. You're mostly healed, which I think has to do with your powers, but you can still agitate and pull the stitches," he reminded her sternly. She simply nodded, already imagining her nice comfy bed and falling asleep in Carlisle's arms without being watched.

"The children are going to bring you a change of clothes and help you pack up all your things," he added, smirking at the view of the stacked movies, books, and gifts she had received. She merely swatted at him playfully.

Carlisle cupped her cheek lightly, Lily relaxing into his hand as he took in her sweet smile. She turned her head to kiss his hand softly, leading him to chuckle before moving to kiss her forehead. He sighed softly, though not in a pleasant way. Leaning back, she noted the slightly worried look he had. For being a vampire, he showed his emotions to her plainly.

"Carlisle, hun, what's the matter?" she asked. He sighed, sitting back before looking her in the eye seriously.

"They've set up a date for the hearing," he said gently. She shut her eyes, breathing in deeply before nodding and looking at him. "It'll be April 6th, a Wednesday," he said. "All the victims' families have been notified."

She was a bit confused, wondering why the hearing wasn't until the following month. Reading her confusion plainly, he continued.

"The reason is so late is because of legality issues. Apparently, he wants to plead his innocence," he growled. She frowned, not really understanding how he could possibly get away with this.

"Everything will work out, hun," she said softly, taking his face in her hands. The relief seemed almost instant, his tension all but gone on his face. "We have to trust it will."

Kissing him lightly, he sighed when his pager went off.

"Duty calls?" she teased. He laughed lightly, kissing her once again gently before heading out.

As he left, Maggie came in with a smile on her face.

"I'm guessing the good doctor told you the news? You're getting out of here," she teased, knowing of the girl's boredom. "And I see you also forgot about your lunch," she laughed lightly when Lily's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "I'd forget all about lunch, too, if my hubby was here," she teased. Lily smiled, always loving how Maggie talked of her husband.

"What's it like to be married?" she asked curious. Maggie smiled sweetly to her, going to sit down at the edge of her bed. That was Maggie's usual spot when they chatted.

"Marriage is…" she started, remembering all her moments with Danny. "Marriage is not about who is in charge of who, who makes the decisions, whose fault is it. It is silly nights of laughing at old stories that we've heard a thousand times, it's crying when I mess up my nails for the hundredth time and Danny taking me out for a spa day, it's holding our baby boy and not worrying about if we're going to be good parents because we've got each other's backs. Marriage is two people who love each other more than themselves, two people who are equals and best friends, two people that believe their love is stronger than anything the world throws at them. Marriage is messy, scatterbrained, and an overall experience that can either make you or break you. And I think you guys can make it," she smiled, patting her hand gently before going to take a final assessment of Lily.

Leaving Lily to her thoughts, Lily took the rest of the time before the Cullens showed up to think about what Maggie said.

The Cullens arrived to find Lily having dozed off. They never got over how peaceful and full of light Lily was. She had a small smile on her face, her head a little rolled to the side before Rosalie went and gently woke her up.

"Good afternoon, Sleeping Beauty," she smiled at Lily's bleary expression. Yawning softly, she sat up to see the rest of the Cullens all with equal faces of amusement.

"What?" she asked.

"You've got a bit of drool," Emmett teased. Gasping, she felt her mouth to discover no saliva there. "Oh, your face," he laughed when she looked at him with a mock-glare.

"You've just got bed head," Jasper smiled, handing her a brush. She made to brush her hair when Alice grabbed it from her hand.

"Go get dressed first, missy. Rosalie will help you make sure your bandages are alright since she's been a nurse before," Alice smiled, handing Rosalie a bag of clothes. "We're going to load up the Jeep while you get dressed."

Lily nodded, following Rosalie to the bathroom. It turned out that Alice packed a simple pink dress that hung loosely on her frame, a large loose white sweater to help from the chilly weather, and a dark pink scarf. Slipping on some white flats, she smiled softly when Rosalie began to brush her hair. After it was neat and curly, they left the bathroom to find Maggie with a wheelchair waiting.

"A wheelchair, really?" she frowned. Maggie laughed.

"We always get that reaction. It is protocol so that you don't accidentally hurt yourself on your way out. It has happened regardless, but we try," she tittered, patting the seat of the wheelchair.

As they made their way to the Jeep, Lily gave Emmett a scathing glare so he wouldn't make fun of her. He nodded, albeit with a cheeky grin the whole time, and drove off once Lily and Rosalie were buckled in.

The ride was a quick one, no matter the distance, and when they got home, Lily couldn't help but be filled with happiness and relief. They had everything unloaded and packed before she even made it to the stairs. Emmett quickly gathered her into his arms and tossed her onto her bed. She laughed loudly, the rush from the toss making her a bit lightheaded. She laughed even harder when Rosalie smacked him nice and hard.

"EMMETT MCCARTY CULLEN! HOW DARE YOU TOSS AROUND LIKE THAT WHEN SHE ISN'T COMPLETELY HEALED?!" Rosalie growled loudly, Emmett's face one of sheer terror. He was gone before Lily could even register, Rosalie sighing as she coddled over Lily.

"I'm fine, really," she giggled. "I'm just glad to be home," she sighed, relaxing into her comforter and pillows. Smiling, Rosalie left.

Lily nearly fell asleep when a knock roused her from her drowsiness.

"May I come in?" Edward asked, hovering by the door.

"Of course you can, hun!" she smiled, patting the side of her bed as she sat up crisscross-applesauce. She made sure her back was propped up by pillows as Edward settled in front of her.

"I wanted to talk to you about Bella," Edward said quietly, a look that had Lily imagine a flush to his cheeks.

"Okay, shoot," she smiled.

"Well, you know how I saved her from the van? Well, I thought that at first it was because I didn't want her blood to spill and cause us to go into a frenzy. But I made that excuse long after I saved her. I couldn't help but think 'Not her' as I realized what was going to happen. I was at her side before I even realized I had. I was surrounded with the need to protect her. Even with her flush against me, her soft skin in my hands and that delectable aroma wafting and filling my senses, I had to make sure she was safe," he ranted. "But I thought I should stay away from her. And I want to know her so badly! Every day she sits next to me in class, and I want to hear her lovely voice. See the way her face scrunches in confusion or concentration. Just be with her," he finished.

She let the information sink in before smiling softly.

"What's stopping you, hun?" she smiled.

Edward froze, taking her question.

"I'm a vampire—" Edward started.

"So is Carlisle," she replied quickly.

"But you're not fully human," he added.

"I'm nearly as fragile. I have died before and Carlisle is far better than my murderer," she frowned. He sighed before continuing.

"I am a monster. I shouldn't even be considering a relationship with her. She is too pure and innocent, a delicate angel," he frowned, flopping onto her bed much like a teenager would. Lily seemed to bring out the humanity in the Cullens, behaving much like the teenagers they are.

"You are not monsters to me," she said softly. Taking his hand in hers, she spoke with much conviction. "A monster wouldn't care about leaving Bella alive. A monster wouldn't care about learning their victim's name. A monster takes without considering anything else. A monster would bask in the pain of their victim. A monster can be any human. But you, Edward Anthony Mason Cullen, are NOT a monster. You worry about Bella. You would feel guilty if she died by your hands because you care. No monster would care," she frowned. "Believe me, I've met a monster and didn't live to tell the tale."

Taking her in his arms, he couldn't help but to want to comfort her. She shook like a leaf, memories of her death and the struggle she survived clashed together.

"I'm sorry for bringing up bad memories," he frowned. She pulled away to look in his eyes.

"A monster wouldn't apologize," she teased. His signature smirk rose, albeit a small one, and she knew that things would be okay. "I would try, hun. You may have it in your mind that you're a monster, but I'm almost certain Bella would see you the way I see you, a wonderful young man that has had trials and tribulations shape him into the kind and caring man you are. And you are still a teenager, I bet this is just a prolonged angst-riddled teen phase," she smirked, lightly poking his shoulder. He laughed softly, lightly pushing her into the pillows as he got up.

"Thanks, mom," he smiled, leaving her to her own devices. She decided to rest a bit, smiling at how adorable Edward had been with his talk of Bella. "I heard that!" he called out. She giggled, relaxing back into the bed. She stripped of the outer layers, staying in just the dress and socks before deciding to sleep on the covers.

Smiling softly, she dozed off, dreaming of Edward and his mystery girl smiling and happy together.

* * *

 **A.N. This is more of a filler but it's needed to carry on to the next stages.**

 **Thank you for the wait! My brother's wedding was incredibly sweet and I'm so happy to have a new sister in our family. Also, a belated Happy Thanksgiving! This came a bit late because someone broke into the church I teach at yesterday and I didn't finish this chapter until this morning.**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	20. Chapter 1-17

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you Goldielover for your constant reviews! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing. Thank you so much for all the favorites and follows.**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

 ***QUESTION: I'm considering posting on Twitter when I write or when I plan on uploading. Let me know if you think this is a good idea on if you guys would like updates. I could possibly do voting for story ideas there as well.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

 **~Monday, March 7** **th** **, 2005: Forks, Washington**

The joy of being home quickly was eclipsed by the boredom and feelings of being cooped up began to overwhelm her once again. Lily had the fleeting thought that this is how she got into trouble last time, but she quickly dispelled it considering he was now behind bars.

She decided have a day out while everyone was out. The boys had already gone hunting on Friday, today being the girls' day to hunt. But the boys were still with the women, hunting being a family thing/ Carlisle had offered to stay with Lily but she made an excuse that she was just going to work on some school assignments. And she wasn't lying, she had worked on them for the beginning portion of the day. But now as it was a little after school time, she decided she deserved a reward for being cooped up for so long. Making sure her bandages were all good and wearing another loose dress, knit boots, coat, scarf, and hat ensemble, she made her way to her car. Rosalie always made sure the fridge was stocked with Lily's favorites, so she was really just going to go out to eat and be out for a while.

As she made her way into town, she was hit with memories of her last day. Pulling into a familiar parking lot that she hadn't thought about in years, she read 'Fork's Bookstore' was slight trepidation. She knew she wouldn't be recognized but it still lingered in the back of her mind. If anyone knew her best besides her family, it would be Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Jones had been her manager and the owner of Fork's Bookstore for the few years she worked there, but Mrs. Jones was more than that. She was a mentor, her guide into the realm of the books. Mrs. Jones had been the school librarian when Mina was a little girl, always accepting of whatever books she chose. When Mina got scared or sad about anything, Mrs. Jones was her mom-away-from-home.

Steeling herself, she made her way into the store before Mrs. Jones noticed anything odd about her lingering.

The jingle of the bell over the door sent a shot of nostalgia through her as she entered.

"Welcome to Fork's Bookstore!" a warm voice called out from the back. A woman, nearing her mid-seventies and a braid of salt-and-pepper hair, came out dressed in a simple dress and sweater. Her glasses were pushed a bit up to see who the customer was, and Lily froze slightly when Mrs. Jones's eyes widened. "How are you doing, dearie? I heard about what you did, what you did for my little girl," she said teary-eyed.

"Your little girl?" she asked softly.

"Oh, you think me crazy! I'm Mrs. Jones, the owner of this ol' place. I heard about you and they said you had pretty pink hair," she smiled softly. "I knew that monster's first victim, Mina Woods. She worked her, but she was like my own little girl. I knew her as a wee darling, that one," she smiled sadly. "As much as I would chide you for doing something dangerous, you got him. And I can only thank you for that," she finished, hugging the girl tightly. Lily relaxed into the familiar hug, hugging her back tightly. "If you find something, let me know, it's on the house," she said, going back to her work in the back of the store.

Lily stood there for a long moment. She didn't know why she was so worried, this was Mrs. Jones! She decided to walk the familiar shelves, smiling as she noticed that the store was almost identical to as it was a few years ago when she worked here. The only real difference was the books.

When the bell chimed, she almost had to bite down the habit of saying the welcoming. She chuckled softly to herself, going back to skimming the books. Lily hadn't even noticed what section she was in when someone cleared their throat lightly.

Blinking, she turned to find a lovely girl before her. She was slightly taller than Lily, so she had to look a little up to see her. The girl had fair-skin and long dark brown hair that fell in waves. Her chocolate brown eyes were lovely, though there was a slight nervousness in them as they observed the smaller woman.

"Hi, I'm Bella Swan," she said softly. Lily's eyes widened slightly, realizing just who this was.

"Oh, yes, of course! Hi, Bella, I'm Lily McCarty. I'm engaged to his father, Carlisle, though you probably knew that considering how gossip travels in this small town," she smirked lightly. "Edward has told me about you," she smiled teasingly.

"He has?" she asked, a bit of excitement leaking into her voice as she blushed. Lily internally squealed at seeing Bella interested in Edward.

"Yes, he is quite curious about you. I would almost bet it borders infatuation," she smiled. Internally, she knew she would be burned at the stake if Edward knew what she was saying.

"Oh," Bella blushed deeper. She looked away, scanning the books on the shelf. It was then that Lily noticed that they were in the supernatural section. Curious, she decided to be nosy.

"So, what are you looking for? I work at the campus library at the University of Washington and could easily help you track it down," she smiled. Bella froze, examining Lily for a quiet moment.

"Oh, I was just…" she started, trailing off with a blush. "Have you noticed anything strange about the Cullens?" she asked suddenly.

"Strange how? I've known them for years," she replied.

"Well, their strength, their cold skin, the way their eyes change colours," she trailed off, realizing how she was revealing her investigation of the Cullens. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me!"

"It's alright, I noticed it, too, when I first began to get to know them," Lily smiled, recalling her earliest memories with them. "They are a special, lovely family," she began, "one that is quick to do good over evil."

Bella looked at her shocked. The word choice seemed to be hinting at something. Saturday, a family friend had steered Bella into her research on finding out what the Cullens were. She had hoped to find something here at the book store, but her eyes only fell on sappy romances or nothing outstandingly reliable.

"I can't seem to find anything that I'm looking for," she frowned. "Guess Port Angeles it is," she frowned. "Bye, Lily," she said, making her way out of the store.

"I hope you find what you're looking for," Lily called out.

After finding a few books, she made her way to her car. As soon as she was in, her phone began to blare. Smiling as she saw the name, she answered easily.

 _"_ _I saw what you did there, missy,"_ Alice started, _"And I approve!"_ Alice's giggle could be heard.

"It was so cute," Lily gushed. "Bella likes him just as much!"

 _"_ _Who likes who?"_ she heard Carlisle's voice. _"And why isn't Lily at home?"_

"Oopsies," Lily and Alice said simultaneously, giggling at their synchronicity. "I had to get out, I was feeling too cooped! And that is for us girls to know and for you to find out later," Lily smiled.

 _"_ _Alice has you in some sort of scheme,"_ he sighed, having taken over the phone. _"Please be careful, you shouldn't be out moving too much."_

"I'm not, I just went to the bookstore," Lily said.

 _"_ _Alright, just please be home soon. We just got home and you're not here,"_ he said, sounding quite glum.

"Are you pouting, Mr. I'm-the-head-of-the-house-but-I'm-acting-like-a-toddler?" she teased.

 _"_ _I can't help it,"_ he laughed.

"Okay, okay! I'm already about to start driving. I'll see you soon," she laughed.

 _"_ _I love you, my darling,"_ he said easily.

"I love you, too! See you guys at home," she smiled, hanging up.

Once she was home, she was easily swept into Carlisle's arms.

"Hello to you, too!" she laughed, surprised when Carlisle took her to their room.

"I'm sorry, darling, but I could hardly wait to be with you," he smiled softly, kissing her softly as he set her down onto the bed.

Something seemed different between them, an electricity that was feeding them a strange sense of urgency. Carlisle began to hover over her, setting her gently onto the bed, making sure she wasn't hurting her stomach in any way. Lily ran her hands through Carlisle's hair, the motion nearly sending him into a frenzy.

She pulled away to breath, the moment seeming to shatter the pattern of their kissing.

"What was that?" she said, breathing heavily and her eyes glazed with desire. Carlisle looked away from those inviting eyes, shaking off the atmosphere thick with lust.

"JASPER!" he shouted, disappearing before her eyes. She seemed to get out of her lust-filled haze when the boys' laughter rang through the house. Lily was really awakened when a loud crash was heard.

Running down the stairs, she found Carlisle having had Emmett and Jasper both subdued on top of a broken coffee table. Blinking in surprise, she couldn't help but laugh at the surprised looks on both of their faces.

"I hope this is a reminder to not mess with both Lily and mine's emotions," Carlisle said, dusting himself off as he made his way to her. As he made to usher her back to their room, her question froze everyone in the room.

"What emotion was that?" she asked, curious. They all looked to her, surprise clear on their faces.

"You… you've never experienced that before?" Jasper asked shocked. She shook her head, her open curiosity clear on her face.

"That, Mom, is called—," Emmett started before Carlisle silenced him with a glare.

"That is an emotion reserved for two people in love. I merely made it many times stronger," Jasper explained diplomatically. "Most would attribute it to lust, but we only wanted to see what would happen if it was thicker," he smirked.

Lily blushed, finally understanding the connotations of such an emotion.

" _That_ was lust!" she gasped, surprised. It had been unlike anything she had ever felt before.

"Yes, but rest assured that it won't ever happen again," Carlisle said, giving a pointed glare at Jasper. What he wasn't able to see was Lily's blush as she realized that she wouldn't mind if it happened again.

* * *

 **A.N. And so Lily meets Bella! A lot of this story, I'm realizing, just kinda happens even though I have a good map of what is going on. That last bit also came about randomly, it made me blush to just write it. Don't expect anything too heavy from them, though.**

 ***I am posting early because I am going to be really busy the next few days. A friend from my church passed away and I'm helping with Mass arrangements and the music and it's this weekend/Monday. She was an amazing woman who always made anyone who ever came to the church feel welcomed and needed.**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	21. Chapter 1-18

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you Goldielover, JaelSarjenka, ArianaLovesDoughnuts, wolviegurl, and LadyAnnikki for the reviews! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing. Thank you so much for all the favorites and follows. We're almost to 100 follows and 50 favorites!**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

 ***QUESTION: I'm considering posting on Twitter, Instagram, and/or Snap Chat when I write or when I plan on uploading. Let me know if you think this is a good idea on if you guys would like updates. I could possibly do voting for story ideas there as well.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

 **~Tuesday, March 8** **th** **, 2005: Forks, Washington**

Since her little adventure, Carlisle made sure to be around her at all times. Unlike some people where that would've come across as annoying, Lily adored having Carlisle all to herself for a whole day. They spent a majority of it in the garden, their morning spent tending to it and then enjoying a small picnic under the peach tree. The tree had bloomed not too long ago, a wonderful feeling of life filling the atmosphere of the lovely garden.

Lily had been tracing little nothings on Carlisle's sparkling hand while he seemed deep in thought. He lightly grasped her hand, his fingers lightly grazing the engagement ring but still said nothing. While normally, they could enjoy silence together, something seemed off to Lily.

"Carlisle?" she asked softly. It seemed to knock him out of his reverie. Looking at her, he smiled before lifting her hand to show to focus of his thoughts.

"Just wondering about the wedding," he said with a soft smile.

"Do you want to start looking into the details?" she asked curiously.

"Well, it is a rare day off from work," he teased. She giggled, leaning up to kiss him softly.

"Let's go then," she smiled, gathering some of the picnic supplies while Carlisle gathered the rest. When they made their way inside, they found Alice and Rosalie already at the dinner table with lots of books and magazines laid out on the table. Lily gulped, the project suddenly seeming quite daunting.

"Maybe we should wait a little more?" she asked meekly. Alice and Rosalie smirked at her sudden fears.

"The sooner we start, the sooner we'll finish, Mom," Alice smiled. Rosalie nodded, patting the two seats that were at the head of the table. It had been decided that all decisions were made together, no putting it all one on or the other. The girls sat on either side of the two.

"Okay, so it's going to be in the gardens?" Alice asked, having taken out a binder full of wedding information to fill in. Lily looked to Carlisle, who nodded slightly.

"It would be rather nice," Lily smiled. "It'll be the closest my parents can be to the wedding." Carlisle comforted her, patting her hand softly and kissing her temple before looking at the information.

"Catering?" he asked.

"We'll get to that later," Alice smirked. "So do you have a theme you'd like for the wedding?"

"A theme?"

"Yeah, some go for colours, others for a particular theme like 'Winter Wonderland' and such," Rosalie smiled. "Emmett and I usually go for fun themes like 'Masquerade' or 'Hollywood Stars'," she smirked, remembering when Emmett had gone full 'James Bond' for their last wedding.

"Oh, I never thought of it like that. What if it was just a simple wedding?" she asked Carlisle.

"I'm happy with whatever you choose," he began, though backtracked at the slight glare that Lily gave him, "but a simple wedding suits us both. You know I'm rather content with simpler things."

"You guys are no fun," Alice pouted, while Rosalie laughed at her woe.

"This is their wedding, Alice. We agreed to be as helpful as possible," she teased.

"Okay, fine! What were your ideas for the wedding?" Alice sighed, closing her books as the two girls looked expectantly at the couple.

They looked to each other before Carlisle smiled.

"Just a simple ceremony in the garden," he said.

"Our family and friends present," Lily finished.

"Okay, that's a good place to start! Guest list," Alice smiled, taking out an address book.

"Who would you like to invite, darling?" Carlisle asked.

"Well, I'd love if Maggie was there with her family. And Bella and her family," she added as an afterthought. Rosalie made a face at the name but didn't say anything. "I really don't know anyone else," she frowned. "Who are you inviting?"

"Well, since there will be humans around, it'll really just be the Denali clan. I've mentioned them before, love."

"Oh, the vegetarians in Alaska?" she asked curiously. "It'll be a great way to meet them!"

"There may be a few nomads that I'd invite, but they might decline since they don't acquiesce to our diet," he added. "But they'll send their regards."

"So there may only be about 15 people, give or take, which actually show up," Alice said, already having all the names down. Lily frowned, knowing that her family would have made that number considerably larger. Carlisle held her hand and kissed it lightly, knowing where her thoughts were headed.

"Okay, so since we've got the list down, what next?" Alice smiled.

"Colours?" Lily asked. "How about blue and yellow? Carlisle's colour is blue and mine is yellow, and they seem to go well together," she added. She looked to Carlisle, who nodded his head in confirmation.

"We could all wear blue with some sort of yellow accent," Alice beamed, already sketching out ideas in a blank sketchbook.

"That sounds nice, but you guys just wear what you want," Lily smiled. "You don't need to get anything specific."

"They're going to wear something extravagant," Carlisle smirked, "so it's best to let them do their thing when it comes to clothes." The girls all snickered before Rosalie gasped.

"Mom! Your dress!" Rosalie called out, making her nearly jump.

"What about it?" she asked, curious as to why she was so passionate about it.

"We have to help you pick one out," Rosalie beamed.

"Well, since the ceremony is in the garden, I was thinking of a shorter dress. One that goes a little past my knees or halfway down my calf," she added after a thought. "Kinda 20s or 30s style," she added as an afterthought.

"Oh, I know what you're talking about," Carlisle smiled. "They had lovely dresses like that then, although also in the 40s and 50s, too."

"I'm sure we can come up with something," Alice beamed, Rosalie nodding in agreement. "Well, I think that's all we can really cover for now! Edward's been wanting to talk to Mom," she teased as the tall Cullen came into the room.

"Oh, sure, hun!" Lily smiled, motioning to go to the garden. "Edward and I will talk in the garden, love. I'll see you soon," she smiled, kissing his cheek lightly before they made their way to the garden. Once they were sitting under the peach tree, she motioned for Edward to start talking.

"I'm worried about her!" he frowned. "I want to follow her around everywhere and make sure she's safe. She's so clumsy! I'm so worried she'll trip and stab herself on accident and I won't even know it until her funeral," he paced. She giggled, remembering when she talked to Bella. "You talked to Bella?!" he looked to her shocked. "When? What did she say? What did _you_ say?" he pleaded, already on his knees before her like a little child. She only giggled more before patting his cheek lightly.

"Edward, hun, why don't you ask her yourself," she teased. He stood up quickly, beginning to pace again.

"But I'm a danger to her," he pouted. She sighed with a sad smile.

"Edward, hun. Go to her," she smiled. "She is just as curious about you are as you are of her, and I honestly think she's a lovely girl worthy of your interest and affection."

Edward looked to her for a good while before beaming, kissing her on the cheek.

"Thanks, Mom. And I'm glad you're marrying Dad," he smiled, disappearing before her eyes. Carlisle appeared not a moment later, taking Edward's place.

"Let's retire for the evening, love. It's getting dark," he smiled, holding a hand out to her. She easily accepted, following Carlisle inside.

The rest of the evening was rather uneventful: Carlisle helping her make some chicken fettuccine Alfredo and garlic bread, eating some raspberry sherbet for dessert, and cuddling up next to Carlisle for a movie. She had just gotten out of the shower and into some of Carlisle's pajamas when Edward slammed open the door. She rushed down the stairs to see all of the Cullens looking extremely murderous.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly. They all nearly jumped, not expecting her to be there. Edward and Rosalie looked equally pissed, something she wasn't used to.

"Bella was attacked," Edward growled. Lily gasped, immediately worried that she was hurt. "She's fine," he added, picking up some scattered thoughts of worry. "But they got too close for comfort. I nearly disposed of them right then and there because of their vulgar thoughts. She was not their first victim."

"Let's take care of them," Emmett growled, the situation sounding too much like Lily's for his comfort. "We can take out our anger on these guys since we can't take care of—," he started, but stopped when he saw Lily's sad face.

"Must you… kill them?" she asked sadly. "We can't just get them arrested like… like…" she started, not quite sure what to call 'Gregory' since she doubted that was his real name.

"I'm sure we can find a way to have them arrested," Jasper replied quickly. "Edward, you want to lead us?"

The boys disappeared, Rosalie and Alice deciding to have a girls night to take Lily's worry away. But nothing, not even after doing her hair, nails, and watching goofy rom-coms, could make her stop her worry for Bella.

When the boys came home, they were surprised to find her still awake when it was the early hours of the morning.

"Lily, love, you have school in the morning," Carlisle frowned, going to comfort her. She sighed, relaxing in his arms. She looked to the boys tiredly, but she wanted information.

"So what happened?"

"We were able to knock them out and leave them in front of the police station. They had some hardcore drugs on them so it wasn't hard to make sure they'd be in for a while," Jasper said. They didn't mention the state they left the men in.

"That's good," she sighed, nearly asleep in Carlisle's arms. "You should go make sure Bella is alright," she told Edward. He nodded, not liking being away from Bella much like Carlisle didn't like being away from Lily. Edward was gone before she could blink.

The boys kissed Lily's cheek goodnight before going to meet their own mates. Carlisle quickly swept Lily into his arms and helped her get comfortable in their bed. He hummed softly, recognizing their song before she crashed into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

 **A.N. Bella's night in Port Angeles. If you've noticed, I put the dates in the beginning of every chapter. I do this to help keep to the timeline so if you ever want hints about chapters, go see where it is on the Twilight timeline ;)**

 ***Things have been busy with Christmas coming around and trying to get into a university. I've been accepted and have orientation this Thursday! So I apologize that this isn't 100% what I wanted but I have been fleshing out a timeline for New Moon and Breaking Dawn's section.**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	22. Chapter 1-19

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you wolviegurl for the reviews! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing. Thank you so much for all the favorites and follows. We're almost to 100 follows and hit beyond 50 favorites!**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

 ***QUESTION: I'm considering posting on Twitter, Instagram, and/or Snap Chat when I write or when I plan on uploading. Let me know if you think this is a good idea on if you guys would like updates. I could possibly do voting for story ideas there as well.**

 **UPDATE 12-22-16: See A.N. at the bottom for new news**

* * *

 **CHAPTER NINETEEN**

 **~Sunday, March 13** **th** **, 2005: Forks, Washington**

The rest of the week flew by like a blur. Lily did her assignments and then spent calming evenings with Carlisle once he was back home. Something that was quite interesting was the fact that Edward was hardly home. To be honest, Lily hadn't seen him since he came home in a near murderous rampage Tuesday night. She learned from Alice that he had been spending the night over at Bella's so that they could get to know each other. The two girls thought it was incredibly romantic, which is why when Alice brought up that Edward was bringing her over the night before, Lily squealed in excitement.

Lily wanted to impress, so she was pulling out a family recipe of chicken fettuccine alfredo, a salad, garlic bread, and sweet tea. She also made tiramisu, secretly glad to have an occasion to eat it. She texted Edward to let Bella know not to eat since they were making a feast. They were just putting the finishing touches in the alfredo sauce when Lily saw everyone look to the door. If she strained, she could faintly hear a car pulling in to the long driveway.

"They're here," she beamed, finding her smile nearly mirrored by Carlisle. Carlisle was really just happy that Lily was happy. She made to go let them in when he held her hand in a slight halting motion.

"Edward wants to bring her over here," he smiled, showing her the text he had sent to his father.

"Party pooper," she frowned. He chuckled, kissing the corner of her frown lightly which made it back into a smile.

"I believe he wants to delay the inevitable," Carlisle teased, which made Lily giggle. Rosalie only frowned, continuing to stir the freshly brewed tea and ice. Lily patted her hand comfortingly, which was rewarded with a soft smile.

"And this is my family," Edward said as he led Bella through the doorway. "You already know Carlisle and Lily, my parents for all intents and purposes," he teased. Lily took this as her cue and hugged Bella lightly.

"It's so nice to see you again, Bella!" she beamed, pulling away to smirk at Bella's deep blush. "How is your father doing?" she asked.

"He's, uh, he's alright," she blushed. Edward rolled his eyes when Lily's eyes seemed to tease him.

"It's nice to see you well, Bella," Carlisle smiled, joining his fiancé's side. Bella smiled shyly, nodding in greeting before she looked to the two behind Carlisle and Lily.

"That's my brother, Emmett, and his wife, Rosalie," he said, though it was easy to see the tension between the brother and sister. Rosalie merely rolled her eyes before turning away. It was then that Alice and Jasper came in from the stairs. Alice came and gave Bella a deeper hug than Lily had, Jasper beside Lily at the foot of the stairs.

"Hi! We're going to be great friends!" Alice beamed. She turned to Jasper and beamed at him. "This is my husband, Jasper," she smiled. At the title of husband, Jasper's conflicted face was peaceful and happy for a moment.

"Ma'am," he said quietly. Bella looked a bit confused by his tenseness, and it appeared Alice could read it on her face.

"He's the newest to the vegetarian diet. It's okay, though, you won't hurt her," she smiled, leading Jasper back up the stairs to their room. It had been decided that really it would be Bella and Lily hanging out during dinner, their men joining them.

Bella didn't eat much, only a bit of salad, a little bit of the pasta, and some tiramisu. Lily got quite a large helping of the chicken alfredo and pasta as well as a huge slice of tiramisu.

"So, you two are dating now?" she asked excitedly. "What have you two been up to? I haven't seen Edward in days!" she teased, making Bella blush deeply.

"Oh, well, mainly getting to know each other," Bella smiled softly. "We found a lovely meadow as well."

"Really? That's so romantic!" Lily gushed. "Carlisle and I spend a lot of our time in our garden," she smiled.

"Edward has told me a bit about you two," Bella blushed.

"Has he now?" she smirked, looking to a sheepish-looking Edward.

"Yes, though he didn't tell me how you two met," she added. The men and Lily froze, unsure of what to say. Bella picked up on the atmosphere though and worried that she had asked the wrong question.

"Bella, I think you are a lovely girl. But what I am about to tell you can NOT leave this house," Lily said seriously. Bella nodded quickly, quite nervous about what she had opened up.

And so Lily told the story of Mina Woods, a Forks resident who was the first of a spree of murders. Bella didn't quite recall the story, having moved away a few years before it had happened. Lily told Bella of how something had happened when Mina died, having not gone where she was supposed to and being stuck in her lonely house for a family that would never return.

"And then Carlisle and his family moved in. Something about Carlisle drew me to him like nothing before. I felt energized and wanted to know all about him, be with him night and day. And I was and will continue to do so."

"If you died, how are you alive now?" she asked, curious.

"Well, at first we weren't sure. But when the opportunity arose and I was injured again, a voice told me that since I didn't let myself be reborn that I had to be brought back," Lily explained.

Bella just sat back in silence and shock.

"Wow, you really are soul mates," she said finally. Lily blushed, nodding as she took Carlisle's hand. Bella smiled, shyly glancing at Edward who had been looking at the couple before him and missed the motion. But Carlisle and Lily didn't miss it, which made her smile.

All of a sudden, Alice came bounding down the stairs.

"There's a storm tonight!" she beamed, Emmett hollering from upstairs.

"What does that mean?" Bella asked curiously.

"It means baseball!" Lily beamed, jumping up from her seat and rushing to put her dishes away.

"Hold it!" Carlisle called out, making Lily freeze and give her a stern look.

"Carlisle… no!" she pouted.

"Lily, yes! You can't be running around and risking your stitches becoming undone," he said, giving her another look. He was by her side in an instant, taking her in his arms. "I can stay with you if you want," he added, kissing her forehead softly. She sighed at the small pleasure, but frowned when she noticed Edward and Bella looking at them.

"Carlisle, love, I'll be fine. You go along and play with the rest. It's been a while since you've let loose and had fun, old man," she teased, sticking her tongue out at him. He smirked, catching her tongue in his hand. "CAW-WAILE!" she pouted. He laughed, releasing her poor tongue and kissing her softly.

"I will play to honor you!" he said, mock-dramatically as he struck a heroic pose. She laughed, lightly smacking his arm before he made his way to their room to change.

"Are you gonna join them for me, Bella? It's certainly an amazing thing to see," she coaxed, noting the hesitant look on her face. Bella nodded determinedly before thinking of something.

"I think I'll need a change of clothes," she said, motioning to her capris and white blouse. "I also need to tell Charlie, my dad, about staying later."

"No problem!" Alice beamed, making her presence known once again. "You have about 43 minutes before we need to be at the field. Edward knows where to go," she said before dashing off.

Lily smiled, hugging Bella. "You gotta be the ref for me!"

"That's because she thinks we cheat!" Emmett pouted. He came into the room in a full baseball ensemble.

"I know you cheat," Lily teased. Emmett ruffled her curls before leaving to find Rosalie. "Drive safely!" she warned Edward as the new couple made their exit.

"Always am!" he called out. Lily only laughed, wondering what she was going to do while they were gone. Looking to the feast still left, she decided to put food away and start a movie.

She was about a few minutes into the movie before she reminded herself to wash the dishes before the sauce and other stuff made it harder to wash later.

Lily figured she could pass the time if she hand-washed all of the dishes. She went to her room, bringing down her radio and putting on a station that had the latest pop hits.

' _I wonder how the game is going'_ she thought as she was working on the last of the dishes. Lily frowned, realizing just how tall the cupboards in the house were. Sighing, she stretched her tallest as she went to put a plate away.

"Another human?" a silky voice asked. It was no Cullen, which made her turn around in surprise and drop the plate. The plate, part of a lovely set decorated with roses and other flowers on the border, shattered by her feet. Much like the peace that would be all but fleeting.

* * *

 **A.N. Dun-dun-DUUNNN! Getting into the conflict of Twilight!**

 ***Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! I had thought of doing a Christmas special but I didn't want to divert from the upcoming events. If you still want a Christmas special, please let me know! I might do one and post it as an extra one (and might come before the next chapter on Mon/Tues).**

 **12-22-16 If we hit 100 follows, I was thinking of posting some drawings. I have Mina and Lily done, as well as two couple pics (one Mina and Carlisle and the other Lily and Carlisle). Let me know if you guys are interested in seeing it!**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	23. Chapter 1-20

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you Goldielover and wolviegurl for the reviews! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing.**

 ****CHECK A.N. FOR INFO ABOUT 100+ FOLLOWER SPECIAL**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

 **UPDATE 12-26-16: Steps for pictures is in A.N. update below!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY**

 **~Sunday, March 13** **th** **, 2005: Forks, Washington**

No sooner did the glass break was Carlisle at her side. Or rather, he was crouched rather defensively in front of her.

"Carlisle, love, who is this?" she asked nervously.

"This Laurent. He is part of a group of vampires that is hunting Bella," he all but growled. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come with a simple warning of what he can do. I mean no harm for this isn't my fight," he said, his hands in a peaceful motion. Carlisle nodded, rising from his defensive stance. That didn't stop him from keeping Lily behind him.

"Let's take this to the living room," Carlisle said, motioning for Laurent to head towards the front.

At that moment, Edward, Emmett, Alice, and Bella were making their way into the house when they spotted Laurent and froze.

"He came to warn us about James," Carlisle said quickly. The group's eyes flickered to Lily, who noted their worry and gave them a comforting smile to show that she was alright.

"This isn't my fight and I've grown tired of his games, but he's got unparalleled senses. Absolutely lethal. I've never seen anything like him in my 300 years. And the woman, Victoria, don't underestimate her," Laurent warned, before going to leave. He looks to Edward apologetically before saying, "I'm truly sorry for what's been unleased here."

There was a moment of heavy silence before Lily cleared her throat.

"How can we protect Bella?"

That seemed to set the group in motion. Everyone made their way to the garage, gathering supplies from the cupboards like cell phones, extra batteries, maps, etc. Lily and Rosalie stood off to the side, Lily unsure what was exactly going on and Rosalie frowning at the frenzy her family had become due to a human.

"I've had to fight our kind before. We're hard to kill," Jasper started.

"But no impossible," Emmett said confidently. "We'll rip him apart with our hands, then burn the pieces!"

Lily looked to him with wide eyes and shocked by such violence. Carlisle noticed this and frowned.

"I don't relish killing another creature. Even a sadistic one like James," Carlisle added.

"If he doesn't get to one of us first," Rosalie frowned.

"This is insane! You can't put yourselves in danger like this… not for me," Bella said horrified. Lily grabbed her hand comfortingly.

"Too late," Rosalie scoffed. Lily turned to Rosalie and frowned, surprised by the lack of concern in her eyes and tone. Edward gave a look to Rosalie as well but said nothing.

"I'll run Bella south while you lead the tracker away," Edward started, but Carlisle cut him off.

"No, Edward. The track thinks you won't leave Bella. He'll follow you!"

"I'll go with Bella. Jasper and I will drive her south," Alice told the group. "I'll keep her safe, Edward."

"Can you keep your thoughts to yourself?" Edward bit. Alice only nodded, making Lily curious as to what she had seen.

Edward then tossed some of Bella's clothes to Rosalie.

"Rosalie, put these on so the tracker will pick up Bella's scent."

"Why should I?! What is she to me? Just a danger you've inflicted on us," Rosalie growled, dropping the clothes. The room was nearly at a standstill until Lily gingerly picked them up.

"Rosalie, Bella is with Edward just like I am with Carlisle. She's part of this family now. We protect our family," Lily said, looking sadly onto a defiant Rosalie. At her words, Rosalie looked away. Lily turned to Edward and nodded, going to change into the clothes.

Carlisle met her in their room as she was getting undressed. He hadn't even considered how long it would have taken her to change but he couldn't seem to move.

Both froze, Lily's eyes wide and a deep blush on her face as she tried to cover herself.

Carlisle, still slightly raging from his earlier fears of finding the vampire alone with Lily made him more instinctual than he usually was and he didn't hold himself back as he took her into a deep kiss. Lily's eyes pricked with tears, worry and panic was so evident in the kiss that it broke her heart.

"Love, you must be strong," Lily said, kissing him lightly once they pulled away. "Everything will turn out alright. You'll see," she smiled comfortingly. He sighed, resting his head against hers.

"You are still vulnerable," he whispered worriedly. "And Bella is in real danger. Edward has just attained his happiness and I'm so worried something will happen."

"Carlisle, love, you agree that she's family?" she asked, to which he nodded in agreement. "Then protect her like family. Protect her like you would me," she finished, pulling out of his embrace to get dressed.

In moments they were both downstairs, Rosalie joining the group in another set of Bella's clothes. Lily gave her a small smile of thanks before standing by Edward's side as Jasper and Alice were ready to leave in the Mercedes.

Emmett handed Lily a backpack and quickly placed a brown curly wig on her head and a baseball cap to hold it more securely. She looked to Emmett curiously before he explained.

"Your hair is almost a dead giveaway and that's a wig Alice has had for a while. The bag has some more clothes and some food as well."

"Oh," she said quietly.

"Edward, hun. You ready to go?" she said, holding his hand comfortingly.

Edward nodded, pulling Lily into a hug before he, Rosalie, and Emmett took Emmett's Jeep.

Carlisle led Lily to the SUV before they all sped off.

"You can rest if you want," Carlisle said, trying to be careful with his words in case either vampires were nearby. "Edward will let us know when it is safe."

Lily nodded but she was too strung up with worry to really sleep.

"Everyone will be okay," she whispered softly, taking Carlisle's hand. He gave her a small smile before they continued driving.

They drove for a few hours, the night still masking their bit of world in darkness. Carlisle helped her down before taking her in his arms and speeding off.

Every so often, he helped her rub Bella's scent from her clothes onto the trees.

At one moment, when the sun had just risen, Carlisle and Lily were at the top of a hill when he froze. Looking down, his eyes widened as he spotted the vicious redhead in the distance. As he and the woman made eye contact, he made a mad dash over the hill and deeper into the woods. He was certain that Victoria had their scent to follow, but he was worried at what cost as he glanced at his love in his arms. Lily had finally crashed after being awake for hours.

What Carlisle hadn't counted on was just how fast Victoria really was.

Lily woke up to finding herself flying through the air, landing roughly on the ground. Disoriented, Lily blinked, finding the wind knocked out of her. Gasping for air, she looked on terrified as malicious red eyes looked down at her. The red eyes, at first triumphant, now looked angry as she looked on to cerulean eyes—not the deep chocolate brown of Bella's.

"Where is she?!" Victoria hissed, lifting up Lily by the throat. The was thrown off of Lily by Carlisle, now standing in front of Lily who was on her knees still gasping for air.

"It appears that you've been misled," he growled. He smirked at her furious face, a small satisfaction in seeing Victoria in such a state. But Lily's coughing reminded him of just where she had crossed the line.

She screeched, running back in the opposite direction as them. Carlisle sighed, turning to attend to Lily.

"Lily, my love!" he whispered sadly as he checked her body for injury. There was no bruising thankfully, she just seemed out of breath.

"Carlisle!" she sighed with relief, pulling him into a kiss. "We have to tell the others!"

Just then, Carlisle's phone went off. After a few moments, he shut his phone and gathered her up in his arms.

"It seems that they lost the tracker just as we lost Victoria. I'm taking you home so that you and Rosalie can watch Charlie. I'm going to take Edward and Emmett to Bella. We're going to figure something out from there," he said before taking off.

Lily only frowned, holding on to Carlisle tightly as they made their way back to the car. Lily was surprised to see Edward and the others at the car when they got there.

The group was silent as they made their ways to their respective cars, the men taking the jeep and the girls taking the SUV. Lily gave Carlisle and Edward a small comforting smile before they sped off in different directions.

"How did you lose the tracker?" Lily asked.

"We're not sure. He was following us for a good while but I think my scent soon was overpowering Bella's scent from her clothes and he could smell what was wrong," Rosalie explained. "What about you guys? Carlisle mentioned that you lost the woman."

"I was asleep when it happened. I woke up having been thrown from Carlisle. I think she tackled him or something. When she realized that I wasn't Bella, she left in a fury," she explained, rubbing her neck lightly. Rosalie got the movement and growled.

"She hurt you?!"

"No!" Lily said quickly. "She just grabbed me while Carlisle was down. Carlisle was quick to get her off me."

"All this for some human!" Rosalie growled.

"Rose, it wasn't too long ago that I was human," Lily said.

"It's different," Rose frowned. "None of us asked for this! She is still alive and can have a bright future ahead of her. All she has ever done was bring danger to us all."

"So have I! Were you not there when Gregory was around! Bringing you into the public eye! If anything, I am _more_ of a danger to you all! I'm not even completely human anymore and yet you all love me just the same," Lily said passionately. "Rosalie… none of you asked for all this to happen. And yes, Bella has her whole life ahead of her. But think about if you had never found Emmett. If Jasper had never found Alice. And Carlisle if he had never had me. Is a life without that love really worth living? Edward is finally happy for the first time in a long time. I may have only been a part of your lives for a few years but even I can see the difference in him. He's alive, truly. A fire is in him that wasn't really there before. Yes, he's confused about how to go about things but that's because Bella is his first love. He's also a young teenager deep down and we both know how boys are," she teased lightly, garnering a smirk from Rosalie. "But he's your brother as well. You two might get off on the wrong foot but right now his heart is in danger. If Emmett was a human and in this danger, what would you do?"

The rest of the ride was silent, Rosalie thinking about what Lily had said and Lily wondering about the others. As they neared Forks, Rosalie sighed before speaking up.

"I'll… I'll try… to be civil around her," she frowned. "I really do want him to be happy," she whispered.

"That's all we can ask," Lily smiled gently. As they were about to head to the Cullen house, Lily got an idea. "Can I go to Mr. Swan's with you? I can take him something to eat since I believe he's sick with worry."

Rosalie nodded, pulling into the Cullen house and beginning to help make food for the Chief. Lily went with lasagna since it was relatively easy and wouldn't take too long to make. Rosalie opted to let Lily drive since she would be the only one visiting and so Rosalie wouldn't be spotted leaving the car and going off into the woods.

Lily was a little nervous, her worry making her paranoid that Victoria or the tracker was going to come around and crash the car as she drove, but the ride was peaceful and quiet all the way up until the parked the car. Knocking lightly, her heart broke when Chief Swan opened the door quickly, only to find Lily there.

"Lily McCarty. What can I do for you?" he asked her, curious until he remembered just who she was engaged to. "What did that boy do to my girl?" he glared.

"Chief Swan, I came with food. I can imagine how worried you are with Bella gone," she said softly, lifting up the pan in her hands for emphasis. Shocked by the act, he was speechless and fumbled to let her in. She set the pan down and sat at the seat he motioned for her at the tiny kitchen table and sat across from her.

"Please tell me what's going on!" he said once they were both in their seats. Lily sighed, rubbing her face with a hand to show her own tiredness.

"Bella is a darling girl, one that Edward is completely smitten with. Last night the family went out to play ball and I stayed home to do clean up after dinner and because I can't exactly be playing with the stitches," she explained as honestly as she could. "When the rest came home, everything seemed to be in a tizzy. Edward was heartbroken and worried when he found out Bella wanted to leave. He tried his best to make her happy and I think he might have come on a bit strong since it's his first love. I believe Bella's heart is in the right place, and they are both young. It could've been a bit overwhelming to both," she rambled, quite unsure what to really say. "Carlisle has taken Edward to see if Bella wants to come back. He does love her very much, much like Carlisle and I," she added with a small smile.

"I just wanted to come and see if you were okay," she finished. "Hence why I brought lasagna."

Charlie just stared at the young woman with shock and curiosity. He couldn't find it in him to be mad at her, considering that it was Bella who had decided to leave and Lily wasn't Edward. So he only nodded and stood up to get some plates, some silverware, and a serving spatula.

"I can get the drinks," she smiled, making her way to the cupboards for glasses.

"Oh, uh, I'll take a beer," he said sheepishly. She only nodded with a smile and grabbed a cold one from the fridge. She found a pitcher of tea and asked if she could have some. After he said it was alright, she served herself a glass and the two ate in silence.

After the meal, she got his dishes and made to wash them when he stopped her.

"You don't have to do that! You made food and brought it. That's more than enough," he said, a blush on his cheeks. She smiled, recognizing the look from his daughter.

"Well, I'll wash and you can dry?"

And thus Chief Swan became Charlie in Lily's eyes as the timid father helped dry the dishes. Lily, although younger than himself, made him feel comforted by her smile and sincere goodness that seemed to radiate from the girl. After all that she had been through, she still found it in her to come to him when he wanted to feel the most broken. His wife left him, and just when his daughter was picking up the pieces of a father-daughter bond he only dreamed of, she left him alone much like her mother had before her. He saw the honesty in his daughter's words, only finding his faults the cause of all his unhappiness. But Lily didn't make him feel like that at all. And for that, he was grateful.

* * *

 **A.N. It's happened! I really wanted Lily to go and comfort Charlie while Bella was gone. It just seemed like something she would do. I hope this chapter is alright, I kinda didn't like how it was dragging this time but it gave the information that I wanted to get across.**

 ****WE HIT 100+ FOLLOWERS! Thank you so much to everyone who enjoys the story! As promised I have four pictures 1 of Mina, 1 of Lily, 1 of Mina & Carlisle, 1 of Lily & Carlisle.**

 **UPDATE 12-26-16: I ended up taking pictures on my phone then emailing it and uploading it to my DeviantArt. My DeviantArt is IanMacPhieGirl and to find the pictures:**

 **1.** **Type in the search box 'IanMacPhieGirl'**

 **2\. Click on my name until the art title (first result is one of my paintings called 'The Struggle')**

 **3\. You should be on my page. Click on 'Browse Gallery' in the 'Newest Deviations' box.**

 **4\. Go to the left hand side and there should be a separate gallery for 'The Secret Garden fanfic'.**

 **I hope you enjoy them! I love to create characters and more often then not, they start out as a drawing.**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	24. Chapter 1-21

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you LovelyLifeLuvvv, YaoiLovinKitsune, wolviegurl, & JaelSarjenka for the reviews! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing. **

*** 100+ FOLLOWER SPECIAL: I ended up taking pictures on my phone then emailing it and uploading it to my DeviantArt. My DeviantArt is IanMacPhieGirl and to find the pictures:**

 **1.** **Type in the search box 'IanMacPhieGirl'**

 **2\. Click on my name until the art title (first result is one of my paintings called 'The Struggle')**

 **3\. You should be on my page. Click on 'Browse Gallery' in the 'Newest Deviations' box.**

 **4\. Go to the left hand side and there should be a separate gallery for 'The Secret Garden fanfic'.**

 **I hope you enjoy them! I love to create characters and more often then not, they start out as a drawing.**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

 **~Wednesday, March 16** **th** **, 2005: Forks, Washington**

This cycle repeated itself: Lily would work on her classwork while Charlie was working, Lily would join him for dinner with something she had made at home, after dinner she would hang out with Charlie for a bit watching the game or something while Rosalie was guarding the house, and then she would spend the rest of the time at home reading fretfully while the other Cullens were out trying to find the tracker.

Lily was just so worried about everyone, especially Bella. She wasn't told much, though she figured it was because she couldn't really help in the situation. But she did her best helping Charlie out. If anything, Charlie almost remind her of her brother. Both her twin and Charlie were quite shy but they were funny without even knowing it at times. But sometimes they would just watch whatever was on, Charlie worried to death. He only ever had a few drinks when Lily was over, but she knew that he was just trying to make the time pass before he heard anything. Every time she came over, he asked if Carlisle and Edward had made any progress and she always was sorry to say they hadn't.

Wednesday started like just like the previous days. Today was only slightly different because Rosalie went hunting to help look for the tracker's mate. Lily had been working on a paper for her History class all morning before she decided to make some lunch.

Feeling lazy, she decided to just warm up some leftovers and spent her time making some raspberry tea. As she waited for the water to boil in the kettle, she tensed as she realized that she wasn't alone.

"I'm afraid Bella isn't here," Lily said, deciding to put on a brave face. She turned around and found a beautiful woman standing at the doorway. She had long luscious red curls that seemed more like a lion's mane than anything else. It was her vicious red eyes that made Lily's blood run cold.

"I'm curious. Why they left you alone," she said, blinking almost owlishly. The woman was soon close to Lily, tipping her chip up with a finger to get a better look at the tiny human.

"Why are you here? Like I said, Bella isn't here," Lily reminded her. The vampire glared, taking Lily by the throat and lifting her up. Lily's eyes were wide and fearful, her hands clutching at the woman's in an attempt to get her hand away but to no avail.

"I-I'm Lil-Lily," she choked out. "I'm Carlisle's mate," she warned, glaring at the vampire with as much venom as she could. "Y-you will n-never get to Bella," she smirked, eyes widening when the vampire's hold got tighter.

"Why are all these vampires mating with humans? It's just not natural," she glared.

"G-Good thing I'm not all human," Lily smirked, vanishing completely from the vampire's hold. The woman was quick to crouch defensively.

"Where are you?!" she growled. As she looked around almost frantically, she suddenly froze before disappearing as quickly as she appeared.

Lily soon found out it was because Rosalie was close to home. Rosalie barged into the kitchen, looking urgently around for any sign of either women.

"LILY?!" she screamed worriedly. Before her very eyes, Lily appeared before her. "Are you alright?! I smell the other vampire," she growled, pulling Lily into a hug.

"She was here. I'm not sure why she came here but I think I spooked her when I disappeared," Lily said, still clutching Rosalie tightly. "I nearly forgot I could do that!"

"Well, it's a good thing you didn't forget," Rosalie smiled gently. Lily just smiled back before taking a glance at the clock behind her.

"Oh my goodness! I have to make dinner!" she said frantically, making a dash for the kitchen. Rosalie only laughed, marveled that only Lily would be worried about making someone dinner after being in the presence of a malicious vampire after one of their own.

Lily made some tea with the hot water to calm her nerves down, quickly making some chicken parmesan with angel hair pasta before she headed to Charlie's. If she seemed more tense or paranoid, Charlie didn't say anything about it. They simply ate and enjoyed the food. Though, she did give the excuse of being a little more worn out to head home early.

Rosalie tried to stay a little closer to home now, Lily deciding to read a little with another hot cup of tea to relax. Diving into the simple world of the Secret Garden always helped sooth her after a tense day.

But even her favorite book couldn't completely relax her. Lily sighed as she flopped back against the bed, finally deciding to go to sleep when her phone rang. Her eyes darted to the clock, which read 1:26 AM, making her eyes widen at how late it was before she noticed Carlisle's name on the caller ID.

"Carlisle? What happened?" she asked.

"We are with Bella. She's in the hospital," he sighed, sounding quite tired.

"Oh my goodness! How bad is it?"

"We almost didn't make it in time. The tracker lured her to an old ballet studio and beat her, even biting her before Edward was able to incapacitate him. He had to suck the venom out of her system so she's not transforming, but she lost a lot of blood and has a broken leg. The kids took care of the tracker," he finished.

Lily let out a breath that she didn't realize that she was holding.

"So it's over then? You are coming home?"

"Not quite. The rest of the kids aside from Edward and myself are already on their way home. Bella is still unconscious from the blood loss. We've already contacted her parents and we've paid for their plane tickets to here," he said. "Edward isn't ready to leave her side and I'm here to be his 'guardian' while all this is going on."

Lily nodded, figuring that made sense. "But his mate has disappeared." Something about the way she said that made Carlisle's blood run cold.

"What does that mean?" he whispered.

"While Rosalie was out tracking her this morning, she must've slipped through Rosalie's defenses and she came here when I was about to make lunch. She didn't do anything, I used my powers to disappear before anything happened," she said, hoping Carlisle didn't take it too hard.

"I feel like there is something you're glossing over," he frowned, staying a little clear of Edward and Bella. Edward hadn't left her side since she was admitted, even though it was after visitation hours. Carlisle pulled his celebrity status as a critically acclaimed doctor to stay longer. He may love Edward, but he wasn't sure how hearing about the tracker's mate would make Edward feel. They did finish him off but Edward was at a delicate stage where his mate was injured. Vampires could be extremely defensive at times, especially when it concerned their mate.

"She _may_ have grabbed me. But like I said, I was able to vanish before she did anything serious!" Lily said quickly.

"She _GRABBED_ you?!" he nearly shouted. "Are you alright?!" he asked frantically. He had felt something akin to distress earlier in the day, but he hadn't realized that it was Lily's fear that he had felt.

"I'm fine, there is no bruising or any marks. I'm completely unscathed," Lily comforted. Carlisle sighed, running a hand down his face tiredly. These Forks women were going to drive them insane, he swore it.

"Be that as it may, it also means that it's not completely over. Vampires, when their mate is killed, going into a sense of madness. Vampires are like humans in the sense that they do have emotions, but everything is heightened. It's why newborn vampires are so deadly, because they are unused to the intensity of their emotions. But when their mate it killed, something snaps and most go for vengeance or wallow away like empty shells until they themselves are killed. And the tracker's mate seems more for the former than the latter."

"So she could be out for Bella," she frowned.

"We just have to be vigilant for a while. Especially when Bella is somewhat of a danger magnet," he commented. Lily sighed, relaxing into her bed.

"Alright, well, as long as the immediate danger is gone," she said, trying to be positive.

"So it seems," he sighed. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too, love," she yawned, the relief of things being done letting her relax.

"Get some sleep, darling. We shouldn't be too long," he chuckled. He always adored her when she was sleepy. She was quite adorable.

"Alright, goodnight," she yawned, hanging up. She was soon gone to the world, dreaming of being in her fiance's arms.

* * *

 **A.N. I've been super busy so this post is a little shorter than I wanted. So the events of Twilight are nearly at a close! But that doesn't mean it's all over. There is still the trail of Mina's murderer/Lily's attacker. More to come on the way—it should be quite exciting!**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	25. Filler Chapter (2)

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you JaelSarjenka for reviewing! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing. Also, thank you so much for all the favorites and follows (I'm not sure if you want me to post a shout-out to y'all but I can if you'd like).**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **FILLER CHAPTER (2)***

 ***if you are confused, read FILLER CHAPTER 1 first**

 **~Saturday, May 16** **th** **, 1998: Forks, Washington**

Milo and Mary found themselves at the café in town, both a hot cup of coffee in their hands than neither were drinking from. Mary had come with her aunt and the others since she really didn't have a car at the moment. So Milo had brought Mary in his own car, Mary having said her goodbye's to her family. Mina's brother found himself staring out the window, recalling when he and Mina would just stare out and talk about anything, sometimes even people watching and trying to create fantastical lives for them in the bleary town. He looked away suddenly, his heart aching at the thought that he'd never get to do that again.

Mary, too, was lost in thought about her cousin. She remembered watching that little grow up. She held her delicately when her sister had just given birth to her. Mary remembered being there when she first learned how to roll over, crawl, and eventually stand and walk. She even remembered the first time Agatha had called her "Mawee." Her own heart clenched, without even realizing it she had broken the mug as well in her anger.

Milo jumped, rushing to help with the glass. Mary blinked, not having realized what happened. She also helped clean up the mess and paid for the broken glass before sighing loudly and putting her head in her hands. At her age, she should have been more careful.

"Where will you go?" Milo asked her suddenly. With such an anguished look, he couldn't help but be worried for her. Leaning back, she looked to his concerned face and was touched by the concern.

"I was traveling the world when I got the call. I was on my way to Europe when… when this happened," she said, looking away from his eyes. She felt like she could get lost in those eyes, even though they were drowning in anguish.

Milo nodded, looking away himself though for him, it was more because he was deep in thought.

"I've never been to Europe," he said suddenly, looking back at her. Mary's head jerked back to his so fast that she could've gotten whiplash. "That is, if you don't mind a travel buddy," he said, suddenly realizing the boldness of his statement.

Mary stared at him for a long moment before slowly nodding. A heaviness he didn't realize he had lifted from himself when she accepted his company.

"I'll have to go pack. Where should I meet you?"

"I can go with you and then we can leave from there. I would like to leave as soon as possible if that's alright," she said, a small bit of fear that he wouldn't go with her taking hold of her. As for Milo, he felt like it was too soon and not soon enough at the same time.

Nodding himself, they both left without having their drinks. The drive home made Milo anxious. He was basically running away, he felt, and his parents wouldn't want him to leave. Not so soon. But he felt that he couldn't stay with everyone. He'd be a reminder of the sister that was no longer there, the twin without a twin.

He strummed his fingers on the wheel anxiously, until Mary's cold hand stilled them. She grabbed one hand and it seemed to instantly relax him in a way that he didn't seem to think possible. It was at that moment that he parked at home. He was surprised to see everyone loading the moving trucks already, glancing at his watch and finding he had been out longer than he anticipated.

"Mom, Dad," he waved, noticing them getting out of the back of the moving van. The two, both looking quite tired and defeated. But their surprise was clear on their faces when Milo was walking with a beautiful woman in tow.

"Milo," his father acknowledged, patting his hands on his jeans to clean them. "Who's your friend?"

"Mom, Dad, this is Mary. Mary, these are my parents," he added, an awkward pause filling the air.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," Mary said. "My cousin was also just murdered," she said stiffly. The two parents were filled with heartache, both for Mary and at the reminder of Mina.

"So you met…" Sophie started.

"Yeah," Milo cut off quickly. There was another beat of awkward silence before Milo decided to just spit it out. "I'm going to Europe," he said suddenly.

"Europe?!" his mother gasped in surprise. His father looked on wide-eyed, surprise evident but he made no vocalizations. "And why are you going to Europe?"

"It's the summer break. And with… Mina gone, I can't be here anymore."

"That's why we are moving," Sophie said, terseness thick in her voice.

"But I would be there!" Milo yelled. His mother stilled at his words. Milo and Mina were anything but closed off from their parents: they told their parents anything and everything. "I'm here… and… Mina is not. We were hardly ever apart, my other half. How can you even look at me now? You can't see one without the other. I couldn't," he said. His voice had been strong in the beginning, but by the end he sounded defeated and weak. "I need to get away. I feel like this is something I just have to do. I'll come back for school, but I just need time," he finished.

Before he knew it, he found his mother's arms around him tight. Her hand trailed down the back of his head like she always did to comfort him. But this time, it was more to comfort herself. She felt like this might be the last time she ever held her baby.

"I love you, Milo. Please be safe," she whispered, her voice thick from tears. Nodding, he held her tighter for another moment longer.

Mary stood a little behind the two. A part of her felt guilty for taking their boy away from them, but at the same time, her heart yearned both to go and be near him. She had always been a traveler, an adventurer. And love wouldn't change that.

Mary knew that she loved him and that she would always be his. It might seem sudden to most, but she had been following her heart for years and she knew not to be led astray by her mind. So when Milo had his hand open to her at the cemetery, she knew that she was giving him her heart, even if he didn't know it at the time. But he would, she would be certain to tell him.

Pulling away, Sophie went to her husband who just looked sadly upon his eldest son. He knew that Milo needed this a lot more than they needed him there at home. Chaz knew the look in Mary's eyes, how they never strayed from Milo. He only prayed that Mary would be able to make his ball of sunshine smile again.

Milo turned to Mary with his hand out, which she easily held on to as he led her up the stairs. When he got to the top floor, he paused, looking at the door that was now closed. Taking a deep breath, he opened it slowly and his heart hurt to see the room bare. Even the sunshine walls seemed dull and lifeless.

"Mom put all her stuff in the basement," Manny said, having noticed the two heading up. Having been the baby of the family, they usually didn't give him enough credit when it came to adult matters. But even at 16, he knew that Milo wouldn't stay with them. It was then that Milo noticed Manny really and truly. Milo didn't remember Manny crying, though he really didn't notice much of anything. But he saw how he slightly shook now, but kept his tears at bay. He realized that he was trying to be strong for everyone, and that broke his heart even more.

Milo suddenly took Manny in his arms and held onto him tightly. Manny's eyes went wide before he really started to cry. He didn't sob loudly or scream, but his tears finally fell.

For a few good minutes, Milo let Manny cry. But he knew that he had to leave, so he pulled away to find Manny wiping away his tears with his sleeve.

"Love you, bro," Manny said with a small smile, heading back down to his own room to get his things.

"Love you, too," Milo whispered. His eyes followed his brother's form before he turned to the door opposite and entered his mostly-barren room. Mary helped him figure out what he'd need, considering she was the seasoned traveler. It was only moments before Milo had a duffel bag ready.

Mary and Milo helped load his remaining stuff into the moving van before his eye caught sight of the garden… her garden.

He went to the front door, ready to go in one last time when he was surprised to find it locked. Sighing, he figured his parents must've locked the door to leave. He quickly made his way to the front where everyone was still lingering. Hugging his family, Mary and he made their way to the car.

"It's not 'goodbye'," Milo said to himself softly, gripping the wheel tightly. When Mary's hand found his, he looked to her with tears trailing down his cheeks.

"It's 'see ya later.'"

* * *

 **A.N. I am SO sorry for posting this three days late. To be honest, life is just getting really crazy and I wasn't able to truly sit down and write until now. I need to do a little more research before continuing the main story line so next week's post on Mon/Tues will also be a filler to continue Milo's story.**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	26. Chapter 1-22

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you JaelSarjenka, Tanner Clark, and rikkijohnson89 for the reviews! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing.**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

 ***PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END**

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

 **~Monday, March 28** **th** **, 2005: Forks, Washington**

The morning was chilly, but that didn't bother Lily as she got dressed. Pulling on a simple navy-blue dress and a black blazer, she wasn't surprised to see Carlisle in a matching outfit of a navy-blue button-up and black slacks and coat. Stepping into her black heels, she took hold of Carlisle's hand tightly as she tried to steel herself for the day.

Today was the day of sentencing. Jonathan Stone, as they learned his real name to be, decided to plead guilty to all the charges against him. No one was sure why he did so, especially when only weeks before he was maintaining his innocence. But it meant that there wouldn't have to be a trail at all. Now everyone would be there, including Mina's family.

Carlisle led her downstairs to find all the other Cullens dressed similarly to Lily and Carlisle. They all had either suits or dresses in navy-blue and black, all solemn looks on their faces.

"Time to go," Lily said, heading to the car with a determined look on her face.

The car ride was silent, no music filling the car. The half-hour ride to the court house was a rainy one, the rain tapping lightly against the windshield. A dreary day for a sentencing.

When they finally got there and parked, Lily didn't leave her seat. She could only stare at the front entrance helplessly.

"Lily?" Carlisle asked softly, taking her shaking hand in his.

"I can't do it, Carlisle. They'll be here," she whispered. Her throat felt thick from unshed tears and tension. Carlisle was quick to take her into his arms.

"You're not alone. You have us. You have me," he said lovingly, leaning her chin up with his finger to look into her eyes. "It will all be over soon."

Nodding, she kissed him softly before exiting the car. Being one of the first ones there, they were quickly identified and processed to be in attendance before they made their way to the room. The room was bare white walls, the judge's stand as the center focus of the room. There were podiums and tables in the front. The rest of the room was isle upon isle, reminding Lily of the small church she used to go to.

They decided to sit further in the back, not wanting to draw too much attention to themselves. But Lily was still able to see where Jonathan would sit. She would also be able to see her family when they came in. And just as she thought this, her family entered the room.

The first to walk in were her parents: Chaz and Sophie Woods. Her father and mother hadn't changed much in the seven years since she'd been gone, but worry had slightly aged them. Her mother's hair was almost completely salt-and-peppered, though it had been well on its way when they were little. Her hair was in the same curly style to her shoulders that Mina had adored on her. She was in a black dress and coat, but a yellow rose was pinned to her coat. Her father was in all black as well.

Her older sisters, Molly and Mia, also wore black dresses, though their hair was pin straight. Molly always had such long lovely hair, so it surprised Lily to find it to her chin. Mia had always had fun haircuts, though today her hair was in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. Each of her sisters had a man with them, which she was surprised to find the classic golden bands on their fingers. A part of Lily broke at the thought of missing so much of her family's life.

Lily frowned when she didn't see Milo, but she figured he could be late like he always was.

And then there were her little brothers. Of everyone, they were the most changed. They had been in their early teens when she died, so to see them in their early twenties was something else. Miko was a tall handsome young man in a black button-up and slacks. A beautiful young woman was with him, looking quite pregnant in her flowing black dress. She had strawberry blond hair, paler skin than the Woods, and bright blue eyes. The baby of the family, Manny, was much like Miko in that he was tall and handsome. But he was much leaner than Miko, and his hair curly instead of straight. He also had a young woman with him, much shorter than he with black curly hair to her ribs and brown eyes. She wore a black skirt and dark blue blouse.

Something that made her tear up even more was the fact that they all wore yellow roses on their shirts or coats. She knew it was deliberate, for they were the same shade of yellow that she adored. Her mother caught sight of the Cullens and Lily but didn't say anything as they made their way to the middle section of the room.

Carlisle held onto Lily's hands once he noticed them clenching the bottom of her dress nervously as she tried not to look too long at her family.

It wasn't long before the other families began to file in, the amount of people surprising Lily and the other Cullens. Then again, when the list of victims was this long, it wasn't so surprising after all. Most were in black, some already in tears. Lily noticed no children were present, but she figured it was for the better considering the circumstances of the case.

There was light chatter, but that was silenced when the door opened and Jonathan Stone was led to the front of the room. Everyone held their breath as officers were stationed besides the shackled man. His brunette hair was ruffled, his eyes showing that he was tired and worn. This was not the predatory man she remembered trying to kill her.

She didn't have much time to think more of it as the judge entered the room. The judge was an older woman, a stern but collected look on her face as she made her way to her position.

"All rise," the Bailiff announced. "This court is now in session, the Honorable Judge Strauss presiding."

"Considering the severity and impact of these crimes, do any members of the families of the victims present have any words to say to Jonathan Stone before the sentencing commences?" the judge asked the room. The air was heavy, thick with silence as one woman slowly stood up.

Her mother slowly but confidently walked up to the podium. She pulled out a paper before pulling the microphone closer to her, since she was slightly shorter.

"Jonathan Stone. I am Sofia Woods, but to Mina I was always 'Mommy.' I never knew your name before we received the call that you had been arrested. You took one of the most precious things from me. You took away my baby girl. My beautiful Mina. She had hopes and dreams. You took those from her. What made her the first of a long list of ruined lives and destruction, I will never know. But you do."

There was a pause before tears began to fall from her eyes.

"Mina had a twin brother, Milo. Milo and Mina were the closest any siblings could be; they were each other's other half. I couldn't see Milo without seeing Mina. Milo knew that and left us, traveled the world. If I had known what I know now, I would have seen him more as a blessing than a heartache. Milo… Milo died in a car crash only a month before you were arrested."

At those words, Lily felt like her whole world stopped. Milo… he… he couldn't have… Carlisle held her hand tightly, his heart breaking as he saw the tears that could not stop flowing from her eyes. He could feel her heart breaking and he felt so helpless.

"He never knew who you were while he was alive, but wherever he is now, I can only hope he knows now and is happily with Mina once again."

"I am only happy to know that you are off the streets. As much as I could easily hate you and wish for your death, I know it wouldn't be what Mina wanted. Mina treasured every life, even feeling horrible when people would kill a pesky fly or a bug. She was gentle and sweet, every bit of loving as a child filled with happiness.

"So no, I do not wish death or hate to you. But I do hope while you are locked away until the day you die that you change. Pleading guilty made things a lot easier for us, and I can only hope you plead guilty because you feel genuinely guilty for all of the lives you took. Stories that were left unfinished. Families that will never be. Any of those girls could've been a mother, could have been in love or found love. But we will never know now. And that is the hardest part of all for us.

"Jonathan Stone, after today I will never have to worry about what really happened to Mina. We may not be able to forget you, for every memory or thought of Mina is now tainted with knowing who you are and that you took her from us. But we will try our hardest to remember Mina as she was: a bright and shining ray of love and goodness."

Sofia stopped, not wiping her tears as she stepped down from the podium. She made her way down the aisle and to the rest of the Woods family.

"Is there anyone else who would like to say a few words?" Judge Strauss asked. "In that case, will the defendant please rise. Jonathan Lee Stone, in consideration of the crimes for which you now stand committed, you are sentenced by order of the court as follows.

You are charged with murder in the second degree and mutilation of **Carmina Woods**. You are committed to the Washington State Penitentiary for the term of your natural life without the possibility of parole.

You are charged with murder in the first degree and mutilation of **Melissa Ann Jones**. You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on the previous account.

You are charged with murder in the first degree, rape, and mutilation of **Dorothy Mae Winters**. You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on the previous accounts.

You are charged with murder in the first degree, rape, and mutilation of **Jordan Smith**. You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on the previous accounts.

You are charged with murder in the first degree, rape, and mutilation of **Catherine Silva.** You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on the previous accounts.

You are charged with murder in the first degree, rape, and mutilation of **Karen Desiree Malloy**. You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on the previous accounts.

You are charged with murder in the first degree, rape, and mutilation of **Jennifer Henderson**. You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on the previous accounts.

You are charged with murder in the first degree, rape, and mutilation of **Agatha Garcia**. You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on the previous accounts.

You are charged with murder in the first degree, rape, and mutilation of **Sofia Martinez**. You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on the previous accounts.

You are charged with murder in the first degree, rape, and mutilation of **Martha Moon**. You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on the previous accounts.

You are charged with murder in the first degree, rape, and mutilation of **Josephine Marie Lee**. You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on the previous accounts.

You are charged with murder in the first degree, rape, and mutilation of **Sara Anne Perkins**. You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on the previous accounts.

You are charged with murder in the first degree, rape, and mutilation of **Tabitha Woode**. You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on the previous accounts.

You are charged with murder in the first degree, rape, and mutilation of **Elizabeth Tipton**. You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on the previous accounts.

You are charged with murder in the first degree, rape, and mutilation of **Raina Mae Silvestre**. You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on the previous accounts.

You are charged with murder in the first degree, rape, and mutilation of **Alexandra McAdden**. You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on the previous accounts.

You are charged with murder in the first degree, rape, and mutilation of **Victoria Marie Waters**. You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on the previous accounts.

You are charged with murder in the first degree, rape, and mutilation of **Annie Olive Anderson**. You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on the previous accounts.

You are charged with murder in the first degree, rape, and mutilation of **Rosanne Moore**. You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on the previous accounts.

You are charged with murder in the first degree, rape, and mutilation of **Winifred Covington**. You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on the previous accounts.

You are charged with the attempted murder in the first degree of **Lily Jude McCarty**. You are punished by imprisonment to the Washington State Penitentiary for one life sentence without the possibility of parole concurrent with the life sentences imposed on previous accounts.

Sir, you have the right to have your case reviewed by the Supreme Judicial court pursuant to general laws. You are required to provide a sample of your DNA to be included with the statewide DNA data base.

At this point, sir, you stand committed and you're in the custody of the court officers pending execution of your sentence in the State prison. Please take the defendant into custody. This court is adjourned," she finished, rising and leaving just as quickly as she entered.

Jonathan was also escorted quickly out of the room. As his eyes caught Lily's, they darkened slightly but he only turned and looked away from her. She finally let out a breath of fresh air she hadn't realized she was holding in. Carlisle turned to her, wiping her tears away before kissing her softly.

"Let's go home," he said softly. She nodded before letting herself be led from the room by his hand.

Lily did not go to her family like she wanted to. She had wanted to comfort her family in any small way, a subtle hint to let them know Mina was happy. But at the news of Milo, she shut down. The Cullens hadn't figured much of it, especially with everything finally being over.

The car ride home was a silent one, but this time for a different reason. Lily stared out the window, a glazed look in her eyes as she took in the scenery. She wasn't really there, and where she went in her mind, Carlisle could only guess.

The Cullens weren't quite sure how Lily was handling everything at first, but soon the heart-wrenching sobs that echoed through the house throughout the night gave them an answer.

Alice took Jasper to a cabin they owned deeper in the woods. Jasper had been just as hysterical from the strength of Lily's anguish. Rosalie also took Emmett to a trip into the mountains to hunt and to make him feel better. Emmett may be strong, but when it came to Lily he was extremely sensitive and Rose knew that Emmett's heart was breaking. Carlisle could only hold her, his words falling on deaf ears.

Of all the members of her family, Milo was her other-half, her better half. How could she not have known he… that he died?! She felt like she was sinking into herself from guilt. She'd missed so much of her family's life. What if her sisters also had kids? What was Miko's baby going to be? Had Manny already been married? And who was there for Milo when he left? Why had he been in an accident? All these questions seemed to trap Lily in an endless cycle of heartache.

It was the early hours of the morning before her sobs turned to whimpers. Tears still flooded down her flushed cheeks. Eyes nearly shut from being so swollen. Carlisle had stayed with her the whole night, and he was slightly relieved when she finally passed out from exhaustion. He knew it would be a while before she would heal from this, but he could only hope he would see her smiling once again.

* * *

 **A.N. I apologize for missing the last few updates. Our internet went down for a week and then my computer wasn't working that well either. I just got it working this weekend and I am going to have an extra chapter ready on Thursday!**

 **This chapter really made me cry a few times while I was writing it. It's also only lengthy because of the sentencing being 1,000+ words on its own! Twilight is pretty much over except with the upcoming prom scene.**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	27. Filler Chapter (3)

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update the main story between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you Goldielover and JaelSarjenka for reviewing! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing. Also, thank you so much for all the favorites and follows (I'm not sure if you want me to post a shout-out to y'all but I can if you'd like).**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

 ****Update: Thank you Goldielover for catching my error! I had put 1980 instead of 1890**

* * *

 **FILLER CHAPTER (3)***

 ***if you are confused, read FILLER CHAPTER 1 & 2 first**

 **~May 9** **th** **, 2001: Forks, Washington**

"Carmelo Woods, Bachelor of Arts, Photography," the announcer said into the microphone. In a graduation ceremony with a few thousand students, the announcer's voice was quite worn by the time he got to the 'W's.

Milo had winced at the use of his full name, one only his mother had ever used. But as he received his diploma, his heart was heavy at the fact that his parents weren't there. Miko and Manny were there, along with his very pregnant older sisters, Molly and Mia. Both were expecting their first girls at the same time. Their husbands were at work and couldn't be here, but to be honest, Milo wasn't that close to them. Milo wasn't really close to anyone after everything that had happened.

Mary had come though. She was his partner now. While on their trip, Milo couldn't be helped but be drawn into her. All of her. It wasn't even the end of their first night that she revealed herself to him.

 _Mary had finished paying for their hotel room in Glasgow, Scotland, when she walked slowly up the ten flights of stairs to their room. As much as she had wanted to stall, she couldn't quite stall at her speed and she had even beaten the elevator with Milo in her thoughtlessness._

 _Sighing, she waited for him outside of the elevator bay and decided to just be honest with him._

 _The bell shocked her out of her revere, a look of surprise on Milo's face as he saw her standing there._

 _"_ _Barely beat ya," she teased with a smirk. He laughed softly, not even realizing he did so._

 _The two made it to the room and had begun to unpack before Mary could control herself._

 _"_ _Milo, there is something I need to tell you," she said, her voice a bit shaky. It surprised her how nervous she could be in the presence of a human. But Milo wasn't just any human—he was special._

 _"_ _Go for it," he said. He sat on the edge of the bed patiently, all eyes on her._

 _"_ _Milo," she started, taking his hand in hers. "What do notice that is different about me? Different from other people?"_

 _He paused for a long moment, his thumb lightly brushing over hers._

 _"_ _Well, in the short time I've known you I have noticed a few things. For starters, you are quite beautiful. There is also the time you broke that coffee mug in the café. No impossible but I know for a fact that those things are sturdy—I used to work there and I had never seen one break in all the trays I've dropped," he joked. "Your hands," he motioned, holding it up, "are cold and quite solid. Reminds me of a rock. That's about it," he finished._

 _"_ _There's a reason I am the way I am," Mary whispered, looking away from him. "I'm a vampire."_

 _There was another pause. Mary was afraid to look at him, but when she did, she was both shocked and relieved. He seemed to be considering her words, not looking at her any differently._

 _"_ _I was born in 1890 as Mary Anne Caldwell. I married Jonathan Lee Allen in 1907 at the age of 17, he was 20. We had been neighbors all our life so it was kind of expected of us to marry. We were friends so we didn't oppose to it._

 _I had a daughter, Beatrice Elise Allen, in 1913 when I was 23. And my life was a simple one. John was a carpenter, a magnificent one, in fact. I was a seamstress and would mend or make gowns or suits for a fair price. Our daughter grew up happy and obedient. But one day all of that changed._

 _It was a winter night in 1918. I was coming home late from work, the war taking its toll on business. I had longer hours and less material to mend with. It was a good thing one of the grocery companies started packaging flour in patterned sacks to use for making clothes and such. Anyways, I had been coming home late when I was attacked. I had been left for dead and merely transformed after three days lying in an alleyway._

 _By the time I came home, my husband had been worried sick. My baby girl was only 5 at the time but luckily it had been the holidays and so she hadn't any need to wander off from school. I've learned over the years that my gift is self-control. Most newborn vampires go into a bit of a frenzy because everything is so new to them, but my gift made me lack a blood thirst._

 _So I was still able to raise my daughter, but as she got into her teenage years and my husband grew older, I noticed that I hadn't aged a day. Worried for my safety, we decided to move to the United States. I couldn't become a citizen as his wife because of the physical age difference so I came as his younger sister. It was a good way for me to keep my name at the time._

 _So we moved to Maine from Nova Scotia. It was a little while after that that my daughter got married and had her own daughter, Cynthia Marie Burton. All of my family grew up to know who I was and why I was the way I was. They also learned to keep it a secret, and if anyone ever asked, I was their distant cousin from Canada._

 _It was after Cynthia's daughter, Desiree Ann Finley, was born that tragedy struck. My daughter and her husband, Timothy, perished in a car accident when Desiree was only two years old. I was distraught for a long time, but John helped me through it. Only 13 years later, John would also pass away, though in his sleep at 86. It is an odd thing, to hold the man who fathered my child with us looking like a great grandfather and a granddaughter together._

 _The night before he passed away, I had asked him if he ever felt jealous of me being a vampire, or angry that I had not turned him. He brought a frail withered hand to my face and merely smiled._

 _'_ _I am happy to have this one life with you' he told me. 'If I have learned anything in this long life of mine it is that you are a beautiful strong woman who needed a little bit more time in her life for something great. I've lived the best life I could have lived, I have a beautiful daughter of ours waiting for me, and I'll have all the time in the world to wait for my family to be united once more. Once I'm gone, you need to live your life. Every babe is old enough, it's your turn for adventure. And I'll be with you every step that you take in your heart.'_

 _And so I followed his wishes. I went traveling around the world. I came back when I got the news of Aggie's birth and stayed for a few years until she was old enough to remember me. Then I was back on the road. I visited for holidays but never too long. Though now, I wish I had stayed longer," she frowned, thinking about Agatha's murder. "I wasn't around when it happened, so I couldn't help track the murderer. If I was, I could've done something! I could've protected her!" she said passionately, her eyes darkening with hate._

 _Milo grasped her face gently with his hands._

 _"_ _You couldn't have done anything! Yes, if you were there you might've been able to do something. But you also could have missed him. We can only hope that justice will catch up to him for both Mina and Aggie," he said. "I will keep your secret, you can trust me," he said._

 _Mary, overwhelmed from relief of telling him her secret and the fact that he trusted her, she embraced him tightly. Milo coughed, surprised by its ferocity, but held back just as strongly._

 _The two shared the bed, her resting on top of the covers since he found out that she didn't need sleep after all._

When the ceremony was done, he tossed his cap with the rest of his classmates and made his way to the front. His family hugged him, not really knowing what to say since they knew he'd be back on the road again with Mary after this.

"Take care," Manny said, taking his brother in for a hug.

"Always am, Champ," he smiled, ruffling his little brother's hair. The family could smile and laugh again in these short years afterwards, but to their mother, it was still hard to see Milo. Which was an unspoken reason why their parents weren't here. It was another life event that Mina had missed. They all knew it was for the better, but it didn't make Milo's heart hurt any less.

"Well, the car is all loaded," Mary said as she came back. Mary wasn't too awkward with the Woods family, but they weren't the closest either. They figured when they changed Milo in 2009 when he would be 30, they'd have to fake his death. His family was a large one, one that she didn't quite trust with her vampiricy. Milo understood, since their family was quite open with each other. As he had gotten older, he also just found that he was drifting away from them all as well. It wouldn't hurt either side in the long run.

Milo looked to Mary with a soft smile. It was back to the road they went, this time just backpacking the United States for a bit. A bit of him wished that it was Mina by his side. A small part of him would always want Mina. But Mary was his world now, his all. And he was happy in life.

Finally.

* * *

 **A.N. Considering how I've already OFFED Milo, I wanted to add a little more into their story. I want to build up their story a bit, though not as much as to do it its own separate story. I might consider putting all the Filler Chapters in its own story at the end and just refer to them later on when I finish TSG. I also would like to make it a more permanent thing to keep main story posts on Mondays/Tuesdays and any bonus chapters to be Filler Chapters (Milo+Mary's story) on Thursdays/Fridays.**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	28. Chapter 1-23

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 ****1-29-17 THIS POST IS EARLY because I go with my grandpa to the hospital for his surgery. I'll be away from tech for the whole day though I've had this ready since Saturday.**

 **** All chapters with a 1-X means that it is pre-Twilight/Twilight chapters. Next will be New Moon so they will be 2-X chapters. Filler chapters are separate from the main story.**

 **Thank you Goldielover and JaelSarjenka for the reviews! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing.**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

 **~Friday, April 15** **th** **, 2005: Forks, Washington**

Even two weeks later, Lily wasn't completely herself. She still did her school work, but she hadn't left her room since they came back from the hearing. Carlisle doted on her when he could, but really the rest of the Cullens stayed clear because of the strong emotions she was giving off.

When she wasn't doing school work, she would stare out her window. Many times she thought of the past with Milo. But they all seemed tainted somehow and she felt like it was her fault that he had died. If she had been more careful, she wouldn't have died. Milo wouldn't have felt the need to leave.

But then Carlisle would come and she'd remember how much he meant to her. If she hadn't died, she never would have met Carlisle. Or, maybe she would have but things wouldn't have been the way they were between the two.

Carlisle had stayed with her two days after the hearing, making sure she was fed and bathed. She would have blushed if she wasn't so out of it those times, though now that she was a little more aware of things, she did blush heavily.

Finding today to be a Friday, over two weeks later, she decided she had had enough of being cooped up. Standing up, she was surprised to find her legs a little wobbly. Grasping the bed frame tightly, she waited until her legs wouldn't shake to slowly make her way to the door. It was the middle of the day and everyone was either at school or at work.

Once she made her way to the living room, she decided to watch the news to catch up on what she had missed.

"BREAKING NEWS: Serial Killer, Jonathan Lee Stone, also known as The Handy Man, is once again at large!" the reporter announced.

Lily's eyes went wide, sitting up straight and at attention to hear correctly.

"Earlier this week, Stone's failed attempted suicide landed him at Western State Hospital which is where he has escaped from earlier today. It is believed that he faked his mental breakdown and took down the two guards at his door early this morning. Police are doing all they can to find him. He is considered armed and dangerous."

The door suddenly burst open, making Lily jump back in fright. The sudden movement was rewarded with a wince, her body straining from the lack of use. All of the Cullens, minus Carlisle, came rushing through the door. Though, they stopped at the sight of Lily on the couch.

"How much do you know?" Jasper asked.

"Enough," she frowned, motioning to the news still up on the television.

"I'm sorry Lily but this has gone far enough. We are going to hunt him down once and for all," Rosalie glowered. Lily winced at her ferocity, but looked away in defeat. As much as it pained her to basically order the life of someone, she couldn't really stand in the way of vampires on a rage.

"I understand. I only wish there could be another way," she whispered.

Lily was surprised when Rosalie came and kissed her forehead lightly. Emmett came and ruffled her hair and Jasper gave her a comforting hug before the three disappeared before her very eyes. She let out a ragged breath before relaxing back into the couch. Alice and Edward decided to join her.

"So how are you really?" Edward asked.

"Better," she had started, but at their slight glare she backtracked. "As well as can be expected. He was my other half, you guys. But, Carlisle is my other half now. A part of me will always miss Milo. I need a little more time before Milo's memory won't be so tainted, but I know you guys and Carlisle will help," she smiled softly. The two vampires nodded before Alice disappeared to make Lily some dinner.

"Edward has some news for you!" Alice chirped from the kitchen. Edward looked like he wanted to disappear into the couch cushions.

"Oh? And what news is that?" Lily smirked.

"I'm going to ask Bella to Prom," he said with a slight smile.

"That's wonderful! I remember my Prom!" she beamed, relaxing more with the pleasant conversation. "I went with my brother and a few other friends as a group. Our Prom was Hollywood Glamour themed. It wasn't too extravagant but it was nice."

"Well, the thing is Bella will still have her cast by Prom, and she's also stated that she isn't a fan of dances," he frowned.

Lily sat back thoughtfully, before beaming. "I've got an idea! How about you ask her privately with some flowers? You can pick some of the roses from the garden if you'd like. Oh! I've also got a lovely vase you can give to her as well. It's plastic that looks like stained glass and reminds me of Beauty and the Beast. And you can always have Alice and I take her dress shopping! It'll be a relaxing girl's day out. We could even do it next Saturday!"

"That all sounds like a wonderful idea, Mom," he laughed, glad to see her with so much energy.

"I'll go get the roses for you," she beamed, standing up quickly before she fell down dizzy.

"Mom! Are you alright?!" Edward asked worriedly. He had caught her before she could hit the ground.

"I really shouldn't have been in bed for so long. I'm not quite up to shape yet," she blushed. "Do you mind helping me to the garden? I wouldn't want an accident to happen."

"Of course," he smiled, easily carrying Lily to the garden.

While Lily was helping Edward choose her best roses, Alice brought Lily her dinner. The group chatted for hours, well beyond the sunset, planning their Prom ideas before the two vampires disappeared.

Lily looked to the door to see where they'd gone when her eyes landed on Carlisle. He looked at her, his eyes glistening with worry and passion as he slowly made his way to her.

"How are you, darling?" he asked, taking her in his arms.

"I'm doing a lot better, especially now that you're here," she said, smiling softly and relaxing in his arms.

"I've been so worried, especially with the news today," he started, but Lily cut him off with a sweet kiss.

"I know. Rosalie took the boys with her. I cannot stop them and it might be for the best," she said quietly.

Carlisle looked at her for a moment before nodding, kissing her softly. Wanting to change the mood, she remembered she had wanted to ask him a question.

"How do you feel about Prom?"

"Prom?" he asked, curious as to the random question.

"Well, the kids are going. Edward and Alice think Bella might feel more comfortable with me there and I couldn't possibly go alone."

"Are _you_ asking _me_ to Prom?" Carlisle teased. "I thought I was supposed to do that!"

"Carlisle, this is the 21st century, for heaven's sake! It's time to shake gender stereotypes and just go with the flow," she teased. Carlisle laughed warmly before kissing her deeply.

"I accept your invitation, Ms. McCarty," he smiled. Lily beamed, hugging him tightly and pulling him in for another deep kiss. Their kiss ended just before someone cleared their throat.

Blushing, Lily looked to find Jasper there.

"It is done."

Lily felt like she'd been doused by a bucket of ice water. Nodding almost robotic-ally, Lily hardly noticed Jasper leaving when Carlisle drew her back into his arms. Lifting her gently, he carried her to their room. Lily didn't see a single soul on the way up. Carlisle placed her gently onto the bed before looking into her eyes.

"Lily, darling, what's on your mind?" Carlisle asked her worriedly. She had been doing so well! She seemed almost back to normal.

"I… It's hard to imagine having ordered someone's death," she whispered.

"You did no such thing! Rosalie and the boys _chose_ to hunt him down. They've had more experience with men like him and they knew he wouldn't change his ways. He would still be hunting innocent girls down if he continued to roam free," Carlisle said.

"You think I don't know this?" she said, angrily getting up from the bed. "I know he's a monster! He did worse things to others than he did to me," she yelled. "But who can judge who lives and who dies? Certainly not I, nor any of us. I know they did it to protect many people, including myself. But that doesn't change how I feel about it, Carlisle! It doesn't matter that he died, Carlisle. It matters that I know who killed him and why! Especially when it is people I love," she finished, whispering the last sentence weighed with defeat.

Carlisle decided that he couldn't carry on with words. Taking her in his arms, he held her as she cried. She did not cry for Jonathan Lee Stone. No, she cried for Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper. She cried for what they had to do in order to feel like Lily and others were safe.

That it took ending a life to save others.

* * *

 **A.N. Not as long as I'd like but quite a roller-coaster today! And here is the final nail in Jonathan Stone's coffin. With an even split between mercy and death for him, I feel like this is a way for both. Lily's feelings about everything are a bit of my own, but Lily is also not emotionally stable at this point due to Milo's death. Things will get better—Prom is coming up! And we need some uplifting chapters before New Moon comes in. Now THAT is going to be interesting!**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	29. Chapter 1-24

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you Goldielover, JaelSarjenka, and wolviegurl for the reviews! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing.**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. Also disclaimer to L-O-V-E- by Nat King Cole. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

 **~Saturday, May 7** **th** **, 2005: Forks, Washington**

Lily smiled gently as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair grazed her shoulders gently in a wavy auburn bob. She had wanted a fresh new look after everything had happened and so Rosalie took her out to a salon in Seattle earlier today. Lily made it back just in time for Rosalie to start her makeup for tonight's dance.

Prom!

As much as Bella had refused initially to go, when Lily came and talked to her how fun it would be and how she remembered her Prom night fondly, Bella decided to go with the group. Though due to Bella's broken leg, they ended up just shopping online and Alice pulling her strings to get the dresses in ASAP.

Bella's dress was a light buttercup colour with a light blue floral design that flowed down her soft curves gently. Alice's dress was a sharp sleek black number that was every bit of New York Runway that you could get. Rosalie opted for a long silver gown that made her all the more like a classic movie star. And Lily donned a dark golden dress that flared at the waist, a black strapless top, and a sheer black cardigan to cover her shoulders.

The girls all made their way down the stairs to where their men were waiting. All the men had on crisp new tuxedos with ties that matched their ladies: Edward had a pale yellow tie with a blue vest, Jasper was in a black vest with a red tie for a splash of colour, Emmett donned a dark silver tie, and Carlisle had on a dark golden tie.

All the men seemed quite star-struck from their ladies, and Bella and Lily blushed deeply at the looks they were receiving.

They went in two cars: Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice going in Rosalie's sleek convertible and the others going in Carlisle's Mercedes. Carlisle and Edward wanted to take the girls out to dinner before Prom, like how much other young teens were doing. They went all the way into Seattle, hardly taking any time with Carlisle's driving, to make it to a lovely Italian restaurant. Bella nearly winced at the price, but Lily was already used to it by now.

Lily had a soft smile on her face as she noticed the looks Edward and Bella gave each other, things finally seeming to simmer down. What she didn't know is that Carlisle was looking at her just as sweetly.

They quickly made their way to the dance hall and met up with the rest of the Cullens. Carlisle and Lily found that they were stationed to the punch bowl first, though Carlisle smirked lightly as he could smell the alcohol.

"I would steer clear of the punch, my dear. Wouldn't want you to get a little in over your head," he chuckled as he whispered to her. They were a little early so the music wasn't up and pumping yet.

"Already?" she laughed. She took a glass and took it to her lips, taking a sip only to wince at the flavor of alcohol. "Never was a fan but I didn't think it'd be that bitter!"

"Now I know never to get you drinks," he teased. She stuck out her tongue at him before tossing the drink away quickly.

Students finally began to filter in only minutes after she discarded her drink. It was funny to see some students already quite 'hyped' for the Prom, their giggles or boldness seemingly infectious.

They stayed stationed at the punch bowl until a few other teachers relieved them of their duties. And right as they were free, Nat King Cole's "L-O-V-E" came on. Carlisle held out a hand to Lily, who flushed at his smoldering look.

"Shall we?"

She could only nod before she was whisked away.

 _"_ _L is for the way you look at me,"_ she sang softly.

 _"_ _O is for the only one I see,"_ he sang back to her gently.

 _"_ _V is very, very extraordinary."_

 _"_ _E is even more than anyone that you adore"_

 _"_ _And love is all that I can give to you,"_ they sang together. _"Love is more than just a game for two. Two in love can make it!_

 _"_ _Take my heart and please don't break it,"_ Lily pleaded softly.

" _Love was made for me and you!"_ Carlisle promised, twirling her away from himself only to twirl her back into his arms. There was a brief moment of just the instruments playing, Carlisle taking the time to show her his dancing prowess. Leading her with ease, the two hardly noticed how everyone had left the dance floor to watch the two. They were like a scene from a movie: Carlisle leading and whisking her, twirling her making her seem every bit the princess in his eyes. Lily, with a huge smile on her face, simply let him lead, looking graceful and elegant as her hair fanned around her.

 _"_ _And love is all that I can give to you. Love is more than just a game for two. Two in love can make it. Take my heart and please don't break it. Love was made for me and you,"_ Carlisle and Lily sang together in their final movements in the dance.

 _"_ _Love was made for me and you,"_ they finished, having stopped to sing to each other as they looked lovingly at the other. They were almost about to kiss when applause erupted from the students and other faculty, snapping the two lovers out of their moment.

Lily blushed deeply, burying her face into Carlisle's shoulder. Carlisle chuckled softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and whisking her away from the dance floor. They were quickly met up with Alice who held a glass of water in her hands.

"Thirsty?" she teased. Lily blushed but nodded, taking the glass thankfully.

"You two were awesome, Mom!" Emmett bounded up loudly. Lily nearly spit out her drink from his sudden appearance.

"Thank you, hun," she blushed, deciding to use the water to distract herself from all the attention.

"You were quite divine, though. No doubt about that," Alice teased. Lily seemed to become two shades darker, making Emmett laugh loudly.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Mom! Nobody's going to be able to top you two."

"Alright, alright," Carlisle smiled softly, running a soothing hand down her arm. "Lily needs a break."

"Okay, okay, we get it!" Emmett smirked, backing off with his hands up in surrender.

With the others gone, Lily finally felt like she could take a breather.

"Wow," she finally said. "I had no idea you could dance like that!" She had danced with him before, but their songs were usually not so fast-paced and not nearly as intricate as the one Carlisle led her through.

"I might have a casual hobby of dancing," he said nonchalantly, so much so that she was surprised she hadn't heard of it before.

"Carlisle, that really was quite amazing! How come you never mentioned it before?" she asked curiously.

"It never really came up, to be honest. It's not at the forefront of my priorities," he smiled. He took her hand and kissed it lightly before relaxing in his chair next to her. "So you think you'll be up for another song?"

"Of course," she smiled. She put her glass down, taking the hand accepted to her.

They spent the rest of the night between dancing the night away and watching for any misbehavior. Aside from a couple grinding up on each other during an upbeat song, the kids were quite respectful and danced cleanly. Lily even caught Edward and Bella sneaking out to the outside terrace.

All too soon, the music was off and couples were practically nonexistent. The few lingering were some staff that were taking down the décor. Lily was walking out of the dance hall when Carlisle literally swept her off her feet! She danced the whole night in black heels that Alice insisted she wear, so her feet were aching quite a bit. She didn't even deny the lift.

The drive home was a quiet one, and when they got home Carlisle carried her to their room. Lily took a quick shower to sooth her feet and to clean the sweat from all the dancing. Feeling quite fresh and clean, she went back into the room in a cute silky navy-blue nightgown that was edged in lovely lace.

Lily was brushing her wet curls when she was surprised to find Carlisle in front of her. He looked over her form with smoldering eyes, making Lily realize just how much skin was showing. Blushing deeply, she kissed his cheek softly before making her way to their bed. Carlisle merely watched her hungrily before turning away and breathing in deeply.

"Oh the things you do to me, woman," he purred, joining her in bed. He gently took the brush from her hands and began to brush her hair for her. Moaning softly at the feeling, Carlisle gulped as the feeling of want built up. But he continued on brushing, being as gentle as possible. It wasn't even a few minutes before she was out cold, worn out from all the dancing.

Smiling to himself softly, he laid her down gently and tucked her in. Kissing her forehead, he laid with her in his arms, smiling even more when she nuzzled into his side. Carlisle never felt more blessed than on this night, with his mate in his arms. Things were finally going right.

* * *

 **A.N. And so comes the end of Twilight! I struggled quite a bit with how to finish Twilight and so I figured I'd just jump to the prom scene. It's a cute little fluff chapter. I do intend to pick up on New Moon which I have more of figured out.**

 **I apologize for the missed update! The past few weeks have been crazy busy since I was helping with a Valentine's Dance as well as getting ready for my first Valentine's with a Valentine! :D Things should be back to normal now!**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	30. Chapter 2-1

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you Goldielover and mokingtwin for the reviews! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing.**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. Also disclaimer for the books, movies, and Shakespearean quote mentioned. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **BOOK TWO: CHAPTER ONE**

 **~Monday, May 16** **th** **, 2005: Forks, Washington**

The alarm went off rather loudly. Groaning, Lily turned it off before slowly rising out of bed and stumbling down the stairs in a daze.

"Umm, what are you doing, Mom?" Emmett asked once she got to the bottom of the stairs.

"Food," she yawned.

"Well, yeah, I got that. But why are you up so early?"

"What do you mean 'why'?" she asked, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Because you don't have school today," he chuckled, bonking her on the head.

"I don't?" she asked curiously, waking up a little more.

"Mom, semester's over for you," he said.

Lily merely blinked at him once, then twice, before slowly trudging back up the stairs. Lily gave a small smile when Emmett's booming laughter could be heard up the stairs.

When she made it back to her bed, she flopped down and easily fell back asleep. She continued to have dreams of Carlisle.

* * *

Gentle hands slowly rubbed her back up and down, the feeling so comforting that Lily woke up with a purr of contentment. Turning her head languidly to where she felt weight on the bed, she found Carlisle bringing his hands to himself only to run one through her hair gently.

"Good afternoon, love," he smiled, kissing her forehead softly.

"Good afternoon," she smiled happily, almost in a daze. She flopped herself onto her back to look up at him tiredly. "I don't know why I'm so tired, hun. I'm sorry," she smiled sheepishly.

"It's alright. You are the birthday girl so today is your day should you choose to sleep in," he smirked.

"Right… birthday… sleep in…" she smiled, snuggling into the pillows and comforter more.

"Three… two… once…" he smirked to himself, counting down and laughing when he put down his finger to signal 'zero', she shot up from the bed.

"BIRTHDAY?!"

"There it is!" he laughed, kissing her softly on her nose. "How does it feel to be 26?" he teased. "Oh, my apologies, I mean '19?'"

"Is that how old I'm supposed to be?" she asked curiously, having forgotten already.

"Would you rather be 20?" he teased.

"Well, I am supposed to be engaged to you. Maybe I should keep an age closer to my real age? Or I can just say I started school later? Traveled the world a bit before starting in Alaska only to want a better degree from Washington?"

"I'm afraid it will have to be after the next move. I'll just have to be obscenely old in comparison to yourself for a few more years," he pouted. Lily laughed, hitting him with a pillow lightly.

"For a few more years?" she asked.

"We can't stay here forever, love. Eventually I'll look too young to be my age and the kids will have graduated. Edward and Alice start as freshman and the rest as sophomores so that we can stay longer but even then I'm always older."

"Oh, that makes sense I guess. But what will happen to our home here?" she asked, not wanting to leave home yet.

"We still own it, and it will be in our name for as long as we want. Edward and Jasper still own their properties from when they were human," Carlisle assured her. "This property would be in your name if you'd like," he promised.

Lily smiled to him before nodding slightly. Kissing her softly, he held out a hand to her as he rose from the bed.

"Alice and the rest have a little surprise for you, but you need to change first as per Alice's orders," Carlisle smiled. Holding out a large box with a bow on it, Carlisle put the present on the bed before leaving the room. "Alice is done being patient so I would dress quickly," he laughed.

Curious, Lily opened the box and smiled when she saw its contents. Inside was a lovely summer dress of white with yellow roses all over the pattern. She found a thick brown belt of faux-leather for her waist and a yellow headband that matched the colour of the roses. Slipping the dress on quickly, Lily found that it was fitted at the top, hugging her every curve, before puffing out at the waist. She found her brown heeled sandals before making her way out the door.

Carlisle took in her form with a smile. "You look radiant," he smiled. She gave him a kiss in appreciation of the compliment before he led her down the stairs.

"SURPRISE!" a loud group shouted in chorus. Lily beamed as she saw the Cullens and Bella under streamers and a banner that said 'Happy Birthday.' The table's centerpiece was a small, lovely buttercup-yellow cake with white sugar roses and a filigree design. A vase of yellow roses were next to the cake along with a small pile of gifts.

"Oh, this is simply darling! Everything is so wonderful," Lily beamed, rushing down the stairs to gather everyone in a group hug. Bella was even becoming used to her group hugs, especially after their girl's night a few days after prom (even if it had been an excuse for Bella to be with Edward for the night).

"Happy birthday, Mom!" Emmett boomed. The rest gave their own 'happy birthdays' once they were released from the group hug.

"Thank you so much. Though I do find it humorous that everyone else seemed to know it was my birthday besides myself," Lily laughed. The rest all joined, not at all shocked by this revelation.

"Only you would," Jasper teased.

"Alright, alright, enough teasing," Carlisle butt in. "Dinner is ready for you girls," he smiled, motioning to the kitchen area where Lily could smell something divine.

Dinner was mainly for Lily and Bella, though it was a lovely dinner of chicken alfredo and garlic bread on the side. Jasper had even made Lily's favorite raspberry tea to go with their dinner. The cake ended up being chocolate, much to Lily and Bella's delight, both enjoying a piece before it was present time.

Rosalie and Emmett got her a pair of tickets: two for the new Madagascar movie and another two for the new Monster-In-Law movie. Both were movies that Lily was excited to see, and she knew exactly who the extra ticket was for. The package also included some of Lily's favorite candy to sneak into the movie theatre.

Alice had gotten her the new outfit so Jasper opted to get her a set of 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' to prepare for the newest book 'The Penultimate Peril' coming out in October.

Edward and Bella had opted for the same route of books, this time choosing two editions: one was a collection of the Brontë Sister's work, the other was a collection of Jane Austen's work. They had also gotten her a few new bookmarks that were quite sturdy and lovely.

And lastly, Carlisle gave her a crystal rose. It was lovely, sparkling in the light of the house, and it was placed in a glass case much like in 'Beauty and the Beast.' She felt every bit the princess that Carlisle treated her to be. He bowed lowly as he held out his hand.

"May I have this dance?" he asked.

Lily didn't even notice that everyone had cleared the room for the two to dance the night away.

"Why are you so wonderful?" she asked him as they twirled away.

"Because I have you in my life," he smiled easily. "You don't realize how alive I feel with you in my arms, or by my side. I merely existed before, but now I'm really living. And it's all because of you."

Blushing deeply, she looked away as the song ended. Carlisle gently tipped her chin up to look at him.

" _Doubt thou the stars are fire_ ," Carlisle started.

" _Doubt that the sun doth move_ ," Lily added with a smile.

" _Doubt truth to be a liar_ ," Carlisle smiled back.

" _But never doubt I love_ ," they finished together.

Lily hugged him tightly, no longer feeling any doubt. He loved her as she loved him, there was no need to worry. Carlisle held out a hand dramatically and she easily accepted it, flowing in to the next song.

It was almost sunrise when Lily found herself laying in the garden in Carlisle's arms, her legs having given out from dancing for so long.

"I love you, my starlight," Carlisle whispered softly to her.

"As I love you, my sunshine," she smiled softly, succumbing to slumber in the safety of his arms.

* * *

Carlisle smiled softly as she lay there in his arms. Her hair splayed out across his arm and he breathed in her gently scent. He could lay like this forever if he could.

But something troubled him.

It wasn't just the fact that James's mate was still missing. It wasn't even about the fact that Jonathan Stone was dead, he was in fact quite dead as the police found shortly after they 'finished' him.

No. Something else was coming, and only Carlisle seemed to feel it.

He only hoped that Lily would be by his side when the storm came.

* * *

 **A.N. We are almost in to New Moon territory! I'm sorry this is quite a fluffy chapter but I realized that Lily/Mina's birthday fell before Bella's so I decided to add this chapter. Because Bella's birthday is up next!**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	31. Chapter 2-2

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you JaelSarjenka for the review! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing.**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **BOOK TWO: CHAPTER TWO**

 **~Tuesday, September 13** **th** **, 2005: Forks, Washington**

The months passed by quickly. Summer was quite relaxing for the most part. Rosalie and Emmett decided to go to Africa since they 'graduated,' while Jasper was staying close to Alice and going to college with Lily. And Edward and Bella were inseparable, even as she got a job at Newton's.

Speaking of Bella, Lily had come home to a lavishly decorated Cullen home for Bella's birthday. She had helped with setting up flower arrangements which Alice executed while she was at school. She was happy to say that she made the lovely vanilla cake and decorated it the night before, a simple cake that she knew Bella wouldn't mind.

There were daisies in vases filled with blue crystals, paper lanterns set up leading up to the house. Which a silver Volvo seemed to be following as Edward was pulling up with Bella in the passenger seat.

Bella stepped out in a lovely dress of royal blue and black and silver accents. Lily happily found that she wore the silver converse that she gave her as a present to go with the dress.

Lily raced down, in her own yellow and black dress and black heels, before taking her place next to Carlisle.

"Happy birthday!" they all yelled when Bella walked through the door. Emmett and Lily laughed when she turned five shades redder than a tomato.

"Present time!" Alice beams, immediately leading Bella to the table laden with silver-wrapped presents.

"Ok, ok," she sighed, letting Alice tug her to the table.

"Well, you're already wearing your gift from Lily, though she has another gift for you as well," Alice smiled as she handed her a box. Bella smiled, opening to find a date night box with popcorn, a few movies, and comfy pajamas to enjoy the night in.

"Thank you, Lily," Bella smiled, most comfortable with Lily since she never went too overboard.

The next gift had Bella quite confused.

"It's an empty box…?" she asked.

"It's a stereo for your truck. Emmett just installed it," Jasper said with a small smile. He found her confusion a little endearing.

As Bella went to open Alice and Edward's gift though, everything changed.

"Ouch, paper cut," she mumbled, taking her finger to her mouth. A quick knick drew a single drop of blood.

Lily, eyes wide, saw Jasper stiffen before his eyes went black.

"JASPER, NO!" Edward and Lily shouted, both making their way to Bella.

Lily was quick to take Bella into her arms as Edward got a hold on Jasper. Emmett, too, threw his arms around Jasper to try and rein him in. But Edward had accidentally sent Bella and Lily into the table full of glass plates. Lily panicked, making both Bella and herself phase through the table and through the wall until they landed in the grass outside.

They tumbled for a good while before stopping about twenty feet from the house. The transfer of energy was surprisingly taxing on Lily, making her pass out before she could see what else happened.

"LILY!" Carlisle called out in distress, seeing her limp form splayed on the grass.

Carlisle's panic froze everyone's frenzy. He was by her side in an instant, worry making his mind hazy from noticing Bella with a few scratches from the tumble.

"Is she alright?" Bella asked meekly. Carlisle looked to her almost helplessly as her head hung to the side. Bella was shocked to find such a tormented look. He returned his eyes to Lily, though he wasn't able to focus as well as he wanted to.

Edward was beside Carlisle in a moment, searching Lily's mind before his tense shoulders relaxed a bit.

"Carlisle, she's merely asleep. Using her powers always made Mina tired. I imagine it's no different with Lily," Edward said calmly. "I can see her dreams of you. She's fine," he tried to comfort.

With a sigh of relief, Carlisle kissed her head softly before standing to take her into the house.

"Edward, please go talk with Jasper. He probably feels guilty about this. Bella, if you'll follow me, I can treat those scratches for you," Carlisle said, once again his composed self. Bella was quick to follow, shuffling her steps as they walked over rocks and the steps of the house.

The house was now empty, the silence almost deafening as they made their way up the stairs to Carlisle's office. Carlisle made a quick stop to place Lily in their bed, making sure she was comfortably tucked under the sheets until he led Bella to his office.

Checking for any debris, he finds none and simply treats her with some Neosporin.

"I sure can kill a party," Bella frowned.

"It's not your fault. Jasper hasn't been away from human blood as long as the rest of us. But he also holds the weight of all of our blood thirst over his," Carlisle said,

"Seems like you're the only one it doesn't effect."

"Centuries of practice, though Lily does have an effect on me sometimes," he added, glancing across the hallway to where Lily lay.

"Did you ever think of living differently?" she asked, curious about how he had gathered on to this lifestyle.

"I enjoy my work too much. Helping people, saving lives. I'm hoping there's a point to my existence, even if I am damned," he said with a slight smirk.

"Damned? You're not damned!" Bella defended quickly.

"Then you and I agree. But Edward doesn't believe there's an afterlife for our kind. Even when Lily was Mina, the ghost, and had her 'almost going to the light' scare, Edward believes that her choice was available because she was a good human when she was alive," he paused to let that sink in. "He thinks we've lost our souls."

Bella was quiet for a moment before gasping from the revelation. "That's why he won't... He thinks he'd be damning me!"

"If you believed as he did, would you risk it?" he asked her, leaving her to ponder over his words to her.

Carlisle made his way to the hallway, nearly having a heart attack at finding Lily out of bed.

"Darling? Are you alright?" he asked, at her side in an instant. She looked sleepy but no worse for wear.

"I'm fine, just tired. What happened? Is everyone alright?" she asked him, waking up a little more.

"Bella is fine, she just had a few scratches. It was you I was worried about. You haven't used your powers in a while and you've used something completely new and passed out right afterwards. I thought I'd lost you for a moment there," he admitted, taking her in his arms.

"Love, I'm fine. But I'm sure Jasper isn't feeling so well. Do you know where he is?" she asked.

"Edward was with him a moment ago. They're a good couple of miles away at the moment. You should wait for them to get back," Carlisle pleaded.

Nodding slightly, she nodded before finding Bella observing them from his office.

"Oh, thank goodness you're alright!" she fretted, taking her into a hug. "I kinda panicked. The phasing didn't hurt you, did it?"

"I didn't feel a thing. It was like a cold breeze and then we were outside in the grass," Bella promised.

Satisfied, Lily went to wait for Jasper and the others in the living room. Though, Edward nearly gave her a fright when he appeared before her.

"Lily, you're alright?" he asked, surprised to find her awake so soon.

"Yes, I'm waiting for Jasper. I've already checked up on Bella and she seems perfectly fine," she smiled softly. But Edward only scowled deeply, not at Lily but at the thought of what happened.

"I've got to take Bella home," he said, making his way upstairs stiffly.

Lily was confused by his behavior, but brushed it off when she saw Jasper frozen at the door.

"Jasper, hun, you alright?" she asked softly.

He regarded her stiffly, much like how Edward had acted, which made her frown more.

"Jasper?"

"Once again, I'm the black sheep, the weak one," he growled.

"That's not true! You're the bravest person I know! The strongest!" Jasper scoffed before Lily made him look at her. "Jasper, you have not only your own thirst to deal with but every other vampire in this house's thirst. And Edward, who had Bella as his Singer, have his hunger added as well! The fact that you've been around this long and had Bella unharmed until this moment is a battle all on its own."

Jasper seemed to consider her words before taking her in a hug.

"I'll try harder, Mom. Honest," he whispered.

"I know you will," Lily smiled, kissing his cheek softly before letting him go off to be with Alice.

Lily is barely able to relax a moment before she hears footsteps coming down the stairs.

"I'm heading home," Bella said meekly. Lily nodded understandingly, taking her into a last hug before wishing her well for the night. Carlisle joined her side a moment later.

"Some night," he said, wrapping his hands around her waist and resting his head on top of her own.

"Some night," she frowned, praying everything would be alright. But the look in Edward's eyes had frightened her and she could only hope that love would prevail.

* * *

 **A.N. And so the trouble begins! I did tweak things a bit since Lily is part of the story now, so Bella isn't as hurt as she could be. But Lily is about to get deep into the drama of what comes next. This chapter is not as long as I'd like but I've got more planned ahead.**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	32. Chapter 2-3

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you Goldielover, JaelSarjenka, and Booklover345 for the reviews! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing.**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **BOOK TWO: CHAPTER THREE**

 **~Wednesday, September 14** **th** **, 2005: Forks, Washington**

The next day seemed calmer, everyone going off on their own. Lily didn't really see a difference, so she took that as a good sign that things would be alright.

When she got home from school, she finds the group already waiting for her in the living room.

"Hey, guys. How was school?" she asked, setting her backpack at the foot of the couch. She gave Carlisle a quick kiss on the cheek before really seeing everyone with solemn looks on their faces.

"We didn't go today," Alice frowned, pouting and turning away from Edward.

"I thought you had left?" Lily asked, remembering not seeing anyone on her way out this morning.

"Edward has something he would like to discuss," Alice bit. Lily was quite shocked at the hostility, Jasper even being unable to help.

"I think we should move as soon as possible," he said blandly.

"Okay, shouldn't we wait until y'all graduate though?" Lily asked.

"No, we need to leave now."

"But what about Bella? She can't just leave! She has a father who loves her and is her guardian," she protested.

"Bella wouldn't be coming," he said simply.

A long pause filled the room as Lily realized what was happening. She looked to Carlisle who only nodded his head.

"Why are we moving? Exactly?"

"What happened on Bella's birthday," Jasper winced when Edward said that, "was a clear reminder of why humans and vampires can never mix."

"What about Carlisle and I? We're doing just fine!" Lily disputed, looking to Carlisle helplessly.

"You're different—you were pulled into this world in a way that Bella never did. She found out because of some mistakes on Edward's part," Rosalie said firmly.

"As much as I loathe to agree, Rosalie is right. I should have never interfered in Bella's life. Besides, Carlisle is posing too old for how he looks. I'm sure there has been some talk about the sizeable age gap between you two. When we move, you can be closer in age," Edward reasoned.

"Don't you dare pin Carlisle as an excuse to run away from problems!" Lily bit out, startling everyone at the table.

"Love, as Edward's maker and father-figure, the best I can do is support him. This has brought him unhappiness, and that's all I want for everyone. Including you," Carlisle said, coming to her side.

"This won't make anyone happy, I know it!" Lily pleaded, hoping to find anything in his eyes that meant he wasn't for this decision.

"I happen to know for a fact that no one will be happy," Alice added.

"Visions can change!" Edward ground out.

"So that's it, then? Just going to pack up and run when the going gets tough? Relationships don't work out that way. Bella should be here for this discussion," Lily frowned.

"This is what's best for everyone," he said, ignoring her words. He disappeared before Lily could say anything else.

Lily glared at where he had stood before looking at them all.

"How could you think of splitting them? They are meant for each other?" she frowned.

"It's Edward's choice…" Carlisle started.

"And he's finally doing the right thing for once," Rosalie cut in. "Lily, I don't hate her. But she's in over her head. She needs a simply life with her own kind."

"And how do we know that? Who are we to decide whether to tear and break apart what could be meant to be?"

"If it was meant to be, it would've happened a lot sooner," Rosalie sighed. "We're going to go back to Africa, back to honeymooning," she smiled slightly, hoping to dispel some of the negative atmosphere. Emmett only shrugged before following his wife to their room.

"I'm sorry. But even if they are mates, she's human. And she could die before anything really happened," Jasper said, patting Lily's shoulder before leaving the room as well.

"We're gonna head out. Jasper needs more space and I need space from Edward, whatever he decides," Alice frowned.

"You're leaving, too?" Lily frowned.

"We'll be back if he changes his mind. If not, I'll see you soon." Alice gave a weak smile before following Jasper to help pack.

Lily took a deep breath before looking at Carlisle.

"I'm sorry, hun. But it would be safer for us, too. Bella is a sweet girl but she does seem to attract danger. I always worry about you enough," he frowned, taking her into his arms.

"Love, it isn't right to be discussing this without Bella. This is her life, too, whether anyone wants it to be like that or not."

She pulled away and went to her room slowly. The night was spent working on her homework and assignments before going to bed alone. Carlisle never returned to the room.

* * *

The next day, she woke to find no one home again. She had a few tests and ended up coming home early, the day being a rather dull and dreary one. Lily nearly dragged herself up the flights of stairs and felt like passing out.

She nearly jumped when she found Edward waiting for her in her room.

"Edward! What's wrong?" she asked. Sighing, he flung himself onto her bed and covered his eyes with his arm. She moved to sit beside him, running her fingers through his hair gently in a soothing manner.

"How could everything go so wrong? Everything was going so well…"

"Hun, no one is safe from danger completely. I was dead and it still was on me," she teased slightly.

"Exactly, it's different for humans."

"We were all humans once," she reminded him gently.

"We're not now!" he said, sitting up to face her. She stopped messing with his hair and took one of his hands in hers.

"Edward, honey, what is really wrong?"

"I can't do this anymore!" he began, standing up to pace. "Bella is fragile, a human. It has to be a mistake. Maybe it's her frailty, her short years, which entice me so. But it needs to end. She can find someone better than me. Someone that can offer her a normal life, a family of her own. A peaceful death."

"No one is promised a peaceful death," she rebutted, giving him a good harsh look. He winced but continued.

"She has a chance to avoid damnation!"

"If this is from your silly belief that you don't have a soul than you are sorely mistaken. Of course you have souls! Monsters wouldn't have mercy, save someone they barely knew from being smashed by a van. Monsters don't love and care for others' safety. Monsters kill without thought or regret. All of which you have," she said firmly. She saw his tenseness and frowned. "Why won't you take any of this to heart? You are an amazing young man who is in love for the first time. And you're lucky enough to have found your forever. Don't take away Bella's choice for her forever—relationships have to do with two people."

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! YOU'RE ALREADY DEAD!" he shouted.

Lily felt frozen. Eyes wide, she could only stare at Edward's stiff stubborn form. He would not give in to anything she was saying. Blinking, she forced herself to relax.

"So you still intend for everyone to move?" she bit. Edward nodded stiffly. Standing taller, she looked Edward in the eye before speaking strongly. "If you won't listen, then there is no need to continue this conversation."

"Apparently," Edward glared, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

With Edward gone, she sunk to the side of the bed, covering her eyes with her hands to hide her tears. She didn't want them to fall just yet. ' _This would tear poor Bella apart_ ' Lily thought as she fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

 **A.N. Lily is standing up and speaking her mind. But things aren't going to get any better. I'm sorry it's so short of a chapter. My sister got married this weekend and the first Monday of the month is always my busiest. The next one is when everything goes down!**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	33. Chapter 2-4A

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you JaelSarjenka, Goldielover, natsumi456, and lilly042004 for the reviews! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing.**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **BOOK TWO: CHAPTER FOUR A**

 **~Thursday, September 15** **th** **, 2005: Forks, Washington**

Blinking a few times, Lily jumps up from the bed to realize her room is bare. Confused, she hears noise in her closet to find Carlisle exit with the last bit of clothes there. He freezes when he sees her awake.

"Ah, good morning love," he said, moving to kiss her softly.

"Good morning?" she asked. "Why is the room bare? And what's with the packing?"

"We're leaving today," he said, not really looking her in the eyes as he continued packing. There was a long stifling silence before she continued.

"Carlisle, we shouldn't leave Bella, not like this. Edward is being melodramatic. We should all just communicate with Bella and each other like the 'wise' vampires you are supposed to be," she frowned.

Carlisle sighed but merely continued packing. He figured that she was nearly as stubborn as Edward and that they just needed some time away from all the drama. He wasn't sure who to support at this point. Yes, he would have chosen Lily if it weren't for wanting Edward's happiness. He also wanted Lily's safety. He figured by supporting Edward's decision to leave, both Lily and Bella would be safe. At least, he hoped so.

Lily merely looked at his figure. Her heart tugged at the indecision clearly on his face. Carlisle looked every bit the '3o-odd' year old with his worry plain on his face. Sighing herself, she came up to him and ran her hands up his back and to his shoulders.

"I'm sorry I've been so… stubborn," she started, struggling to find words. "I haven't considered how hard it is for you. You're the head, the father, and you just want everyone safe and happy." He turned to face her, kissing her deeply. He hoped she was finally giving in to the idea of moving. But she pulled away from his kiss to continue. "But no one can promise safety. You can only provide happiness even in the harshest of times."

Carlisle frowned, placing his head on hers as he sighed.

"I won't be able to convince you that this is the right choice?" Carlisle half-smiled.

"I'm sorry, love, but it's not. It's not the right choice because this choice is being taken away from Bella," she said gently.

Sighing once more, he pulled away as he finished packing. Seeing the last suitcase packed gave her a suffocating feeling, once she was surprised filled her with a strange type of terror.

"Carlisle!" she started almost hysterically.

"Love?" he asked, taking her in his arms as he saw her turmoil.

"Carlisle, this is home," she said, her voice breaking slightly. "How can I leave?" She felt like she was caving in, this feeling quite strange and almost reminiscent of her time as a ghost—the feeling reminded her of the feeling she would get trying to leave home.

"It's always hard the first time. But change can be good," he said, running his hand through her hair comfortingly.

They were that strange embrace for a good few moments. All the while, Lily's thoughts felt like running a mile a minute. How could she possibly leave? Maybe she just needed to see her home one last time, try to commit it to memory.

"Love, can I go by myself? I just need to see Forks once more. As a goodbye," she said tearfully. She looked at him so hopefully that he daren't refuse her.

"Of course," he said easily. He felt the relief at that simple approval. "All your things are in your car anyways. I had planned on driving but that will make these last suitcases easier to put in the passenger seat," he smiled.

She smiled softly, kissing him gently before hugging him tightly.

"I hope that will help," he said.

"Me, too," she said tearfully.

Heading down the stairs, she was mildly glad that Edward wasn't around. The thought alone made her heart hurt. How could she harbor ill feelings towards such a sweet boy? Well, lately he wasn't so sweet but he was family.

Carlisle walked her to her car.

"We'll be staying with the Denali clan for a while until we figure out where to go next. We figured we could introduce you to them, seeing as you'll be my wife soon," he smiled softly. "I sent the address to your phone so you can pull it up on your GPS."

Lily checked her phone and sure enough his message was there.

"Let me write it down, just in case," she said, knowing that she'd forget to charge her phone or something like that. After scribbling it down in her notebook from her purse, she looked up to find Carlisle looking at her with a soft smile.

For a moment, they both stared at each other. Carlisle had watched as she quickly jotted down the address like it was her life. She cared about every little thing so much that she seemed to ingrain herself into everything. He felt as if he was falling in love with her all over again in just this small little moment. She was making sure she could find her way to him.

Lily, looking back at him once finished writing the address, saw his love for her clear in his eyes. She memorized the way his dark shirt was lightly wrinkled from the stressful night. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, his hands in his grey suit pant pockets. His blond hair lightly tossed in the breeze. She felt like wanting to memorize this little moment. She wasn't quite sure why this moment was so different, but she did.

Lily pulled him in for a deep kiss, running her hands up his chest and into his hair. She wanted to remember his lips and his smell. Pulling back after a moment, both smiled dazed at each other.

"See you soon, love," he smiled, going slowly to his own car.

"Goodbye, love," she smiled softly. He pulled out quickly, letting her take her time.

Looking back to the tall house she knew as her own, tears quickly falling and dampening her jacket. How could she ever truly leave? She didn't even have the heart to look in her garden once more, for she knew she would break down even more and never leave at all.

Backing out, she slowly made her way beyond the winding driveway and into town. She passed by the school, were she and her siblings all laughed and enjoyed classes together. The library had been her safe haven, one that would carry on to her job. The Teddy Nook was still thriving, she could even see Mrs. Jones through the window. Sighing to herself, she found herself driving by Bella's house.

Lily didn't have the heart to stop, but when as she looked to the house, something inside Lily clicked.

Lily could _not_ leave. Not like this.

Driving on, she made her way to Forks Apartments. Some were new but she figured she didn't need much. A small efficiency would do nicely. She couldn't stay at her home if the others were gone. It just wouldn't be right. They were her family now, and being there would remind her of her loneliness as a ghost before they were there.

Parking, she made her way into the office. She was surprised to find her parent's friend, Susan Stone, at the front desk.

"Oh! You're Lily McCarty!" she said, suddenly flushed.

"Um, yes?" she said, not sure where she was going with this.

"I just… um, well, thank you for what you did! What can I help you with today?" she asked. Lily was glad she didn't continue on about it, it just felt awkward.

"Well, I was hoping to find a new place?" she asked. "I had been staying with the Cullens for a while but with them moving, I need a place to stay for school."

"Oh, they're moving already?" Mrs. Stone asked.

"Yeah, something came up with some family friends," she bluffed quickly.

"Oh, well I do hope everything is alright. So what was this about needing a room? What kind of place are you looking for and for how long?"

"Oh, um, a one room or an efficiency is just fine. Also, I'm not too sure how long I'll be here. I guess to finish this semester and the next," Lily thought aloud.

"Well, we have a few one rooms that are quite cheap. They come with a small kitchen and all appliances like the fridge, oven, dishwasher, and microwave. There is a small bathroom and a living room area. This one has a little area outside and a shed-like closet. We have a laundry facility near the pool area. You'll have a bundle for water, electricity, and cable if you'd like or you could provide it yourself."

"This sounds perfect! And the bundle is fine. Is it ready now?"

"Yes, it's $650 a month for everything. You'll be in room 16, that's on the second floor at the very end of the walkway. Your parking spot is actually right behind your building. Just fill out this information and you'll be good to go," Mrs. Stone said.

It didn't take long for her to go through the paperwork, having all of her paperwork and identification in her car. She wrote a check paying for the first month and signed the contract.

She officially lived in Forks.

Unpacking her car felt quite surreal. She mainly just put boxes around in rooms that she would put them in later. The main thing she didn't have was furniture of any kind. The Cullens must've had some at the new place.

Lily had just finished placing down the last box when she felt another presence behind her.

Facing the door, she came face to face with none other than Edward Cullen.

* * *

 **A.N. So it has happened! Lily decided to stay.**

 **I like to keep the chapters around 1,500 w/out these notes so it's being split into two parts.**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	34. Chapter 2-4B

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you Goldielover, JaelSarjenka, and natsumi456 for the reviews! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing.**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **BOOK TWO: CHAPTER FOUR PART B**

"Edward," Lily said simply. She felt like being cautious, especially with the dark look Edward seemed to be giving her.

"Lily," he growled. "I would like to think you are not doing what I think you are doing…"

"I just thought I'd rest the boxes in this empty apartment," she said sarcastically.

"I'm being serious, Lily!"

"And so am I! I will not stand by and leave that poor girl alone during this. You're going to break not only your heart, but her heart. Especially by taking the choice away from her."

"Enough with that! Everyone is going. And what about Carlisle?"

"I was just about to call him. Yes, I do understand that by making this decision to stay will separate us, but he can easily stay as well. And I intend to stay in contact with him unlike how I imagine you plan to disconnect yourself completely from Bella," she said pointedly, and he at least had the decency to look ashamed for a moment. But it was quickly overcome by a darkness that startled her.

"I can exist with my pain, but Bella will be happy in a normal life—"

"How would you know?" she demanded. "Have you even talked to her about all of this?"

"It's easier this way—"

"Easier for you to be a coward."

"ENOUGH!" Edward bellowed. He quickly got her phone from her hand and crushed it. "I'd like to see you call Carlisle now before I tell him of your betrayal. Your betrayal to our family in failing to want our protection and safety, your betrayal to me for not standing behind my choice, and your betrayal to Carlisle by not going to be with him."

"I haven't betrayed anyone! I'm merely trying to be there for someone when the person she loves is about to leave her behind all because of an accident—an accident that she was practically unscathed by!" Lily yelled. Her frustration with Edward peaked when he broke her phone and doubted her love of Carlisle. "Know this: you are setting yourself up for heartache. You will only have yourself to blame for the destruction you are bringing upon us."

Edward made to leave when her arms went around him in an embrace.

"Edward, I'm sorry I yelled. I'm sorry for seeming like I don't care about your safety and your decision. But I can't leave Bella to be broken by you. I will always be here for you—you know how to find me," she whispered tearfully. Fighting really did break her heart.

But Edward merely shoved her off of him, so much that she hit the far wall roughly. "You lost me when you made the decision to stay. You are not and you never will be my mother."

As he slammed the door, Lily just lay there in shock. She didn't want to believe that this was her Edward, the sweet boy that had found love in Bella. The sweet boy who never shied from talking to her.

Wiping her eyes as tears had fallen against her will, she winced as she may her way from the floor. Her body felt sore from the aggressiveness and made even more tears fall. Her gaze was hazy as she made her way to her room. With things having gone from bad to worse, she couldn't help but give in to the helplessness as she threw herself onto the blankets she had made into a makeshift sleeping bag.

It was a few good moments of crying her heart out before she glanced to the side and saw her purse and backpack.

"A letter!" she screamed, the idea hitting her suddenly. She scrambled to her bag and found the address a little crinkled from being stuffed in her purse.

Pulling out her notebook and a pen, she paused as she considered what she would be writing. After all, this wasn't the only time she'd talk to him—she'd just have to set up a new phone system.

 _My dearest Carlisle,_

 _Know that I love you very much. That being said, I just couldn't leave Bella to mend a broken heart because of Edward's selfishness and cowardice. Speaking of that, in his anger he broke my phone—hence the letter. I hope Alice gives you a heads up of what's happened._

 _Don't take this as me leaving you! I love you very much and I plan very much to keep in contact with you. Once I get a new phone, I'll add your numbers back. I'll see if I can have the same number if worse comes to worse, I can easily call you guys._

 _My love, I wish it wasn't this way. But I know that it's wrong to leave her. So I'm going to stay until either one of us graduates. I have half a mind to travel with her to find you guys once she's graduated and free to go with me. But we'll have to see if Edward realizes his mistake and comes back._

 _I hope to see you soon but who knows._

 _With love, Lily_

Just thinking about the long wait to see Carlisle again had tears in her eyes. She missed a few that landed on the paper but luckily it didn't smear.

Grabbing her wallet, she made her way to her car and drove to the post office. In minutes, the letter was sent to the Denali clan, hopefully making it to its destination.

That night was a restless one, one that shifted from painfully crying from the ache in her heart from missing Carlisle, to restless tossing and turning with nightmares of a life without her love. She only hoped she'd be able to be strong enough for the uncertain future apart.

* * *

The drive had been rather dull, one he had taken many times many years ago. Carlisle had just parked his car to find Edward waiting for him at the door.

"Carlisle, we need to talk," Edward said with a glower. Carlisle internally sighed, not that Edward could tell as he kept his forethoughts clear. "Lily has betrayed us."

"Betrayed us?!" Carlisle asked, not believing Edward for a moment. "And how did she betray us?"

"She stayed," Edward said simply. Those two words stopped his heart in its tracks. Edward was surprised to find himself held up by his shirt by Carlisle's fists. His eyes were hard as they glared into his.

"What did you do?" he growled. Edward growled just as loud. It was at their noises that attracted the attention of the rest of the Cullens. Emmett and Rosalie had helped to unpack at their Alaskan house before going to Africa. Emmett and Jasper separated the two, though they struggled with each of the vampires' ferocity.

"I did nothing! I found her in an apartment with her stuff unpacked. She plans to stay there. She left you," Edward smirked.

"You lie! It isn't true! She would have told me," Carlisle hissed.

"Actually," Alice started, silencing the group. "I saw her make her choice to stay with Bella."

Carlisle sunk to his knees in shock of the revelation.

"But she was about to call you when Edward smashed her phone and tossed her into a wall," Alice growled, having every intention of throwing Edward under the bus when Carlisle arrived. Edward had just beaten her to the punch.

"You. Smashed. Her. Phone…. AND YOU TOSSED HER INTO A WALL?!" Carlisle yelled, losing it completely and he had Edward by his throat. The others knew there was no saving Edward for that slip. You don't mess with a vampire's mate, especially of their beloved father.

"She's safe, Carlisle. In fact, she's writing to explain everything to you. It should be on its way as we speak," Alice said softly, deciding to have some mercy on her brother, even if she wanted to smack him herself.

At that, Carlisle released him and stalked into the house.

"Edward, I'm sure Lily was more than forgiving of your behavior. That is the only think holding me back. You may be my son and I have stuck behind you always, but that crossed the line. You need to get your act together. You may have been right to leave Bella if hurting others is your new behavior. You are making yourself dangerous to Bella and others."

Edward looked away, finally realizing the error of his ways. But he could only bear the consequences of them now. In a flash, he was gone, away from the heavy disappointment in Carlisle's eyes.

* * *

 **A.N. And chapter 4 is finished! Yes, Edward is slightly more aggressive in this version. I couldn't help but imagine Edward's immaturity of how he handles the accident coming to a tipping point to wear he wanted to make Lily feel as miserable as he was feeling. Especially since she was really his only real challenger of the situation.**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	35. Chapter 2-5A

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you Fairy Tail Master23, Guest, Goldielover, and nurikat21 for the reviews! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing.**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **BOOK TWO: CHAPTER FIVE**

 **~Friday, September 16** **th** **, 2005: Forks, Washington**

That morning, Lily tossed and turned on the blankets. Just one night already had her wanting to rethink her decision. But she told herself that she needed to stay strong, especially for Bella.

Bella! She had forgotten to warn Bella!

Getting dressed haphazardly, she was nearly in her car when she realized it was already noon. Bella would be in school right now, just like she should be. Though she figured that two days missed would be recoverable. She went back in to change like a sensible person before heading out. It was still too early so she decided to go get food since her fridge was empty.

Feeling too anxious to really eat, she picked up a drink at the gas station. She started to feel a lot of eyes on her, and she started feeling apprehensive. Lily had never felt like this before, this uncomfortableness of being out and about. So she decided to go back home.

Though only moments in to her drive and she realized she was driving to the Cullens. Fighting back tears, she turned back into town. Her thoughtless driving had given her enough time that Bella would be back from school, which she was a little happy about.

Spotting Bella's truck in the driveway from down the street, she suddenly realized that she had to break it to Bella that the Cullens had left and that Edward was to blame. What was she supposed to say? How was she supposed to say it? She sighed as she parked, slowly walking up the path that she had known so well with happier emotions. Now it felt like she was walking to her doom. Or rather, to Bella's doom.

But Bella deserved to know what happened. With that thought, she stopped herself from the sinking feeling and filled herself with the desire to help Bella.

Knocking on the door, she waited to hear Bella's footsteps coming.

But there was silence.

Knocking a little louder, she strained her heightened hearing and was surprised to find no one home. Figuring Bella must be out with friends, she decided to wait for her there. Getting comfortable on the steps, she looked into the woods.

Mina had always loved the woods as a little girl. Having the earth on her bare feet as she frolicked and ran to her heart's content. Milo not far behind her with her shoes so she wouldn't catch her death of cold.

Milo.

Her heart ached to think of him, now more than ever without Carlisle here to ease her heart. And thinking of Carlisle made her heart ache even more.

Wiping her eyes, she berated herself. She wouldn't be able to help Bella if she kept blubbering and crying when she thought of Carlisle and the Cullens. She had to be strong! Besides, she'd still be in contact with them.

She was so lost in thought that Charlie pulling up gave her a fright. Glancing around, she noticed it was considerably darker than before and Bella wasn't home yet.

"Lily? What're ya doing out here?" Charlie asked surprised.

"I've been waiting for Bella, since she got out of school," she said worriedly.

"Let's call up some of her friends, yeah? See if she's with any of them," he said calmly, bringing her into the house. It was then he noticed how cold she was. He grabbed a spare blanket from the couch and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Thank you," she smiled softly, surprised by the fatherly act. He merely nodded before starting to make phone calls.

"Hi, uh, Mrs. Stanley. Is Bella with Jessica?... Oh, uh, we're trying to find Bells. Have you heard if she was with any others?... Thanks, we'll ask around."

"Mr. Webb, hi. Listen, is Bella with Angela?... She hasn't come home and she wasn't with Ms. Stanley…. No, thanks though."

"Mrs. Newton, any chance Bella is with your son? She hasn't come home…. No… I'm calling around to see who has seen her at least after school… I'll call back if anything pops up."

"Billy, please tell me Bella is in La Push?... A friend of Bella's has been waiting to meet her since she got out of school and no one has seen Bella…. Yeah, we'll have to wait a bit to see if Bella was just out but her car is still here…. I'll let you know if anything pops up."

Hanging up the final call, he looked to Lily who looked worried.

"It's only been a few hours. If it gets any later, then we'll worry," Charlie said, trying to think positive.

"Mind if I stay? I'll help with dinner, have something hot for when Bella returns," she asked. He only nodded before letting her go to the kitchen, himself heading to the TV. He hoped that he could drown out the time worrying until she'd come home.

After a small dinner of baked chicken and mashed potatoes, they both went to wait in the living room with the TV on. Due to both being stressed from the day, they didn't even realize they fell asleep shortly after.

 _Lily found herself back in her own bed. Shocked but extremely happy, she turns to find Carlisle there._

 _"_ _Carlisle!" she beams, rushing to hug Carlisle. But he pulls away._

 _"_ _How could you do this to me?" he frowns, holding her away from himself. "What happened to 'decisions need to be made together?' Seems a bit hypocritical of you to make this decision and leave me out of it." Carlisle turned himself away from her._

 _"_ _You leaving was a decision you made on your own. I did this to help Bella. I know you didn't really want to leave, none of you did. Now you see how taking decisions away from someone hurts," she frowned._

 _"_ _This is too far. Mates would never do this to each other," he said, beginning to walk away._

 _"_ _Carlisle? What are you talking about?" Lily pleaded, trying to catch up to him but tripping on the blankets. "Wait, Carlisle, where are you going?!"_

 _"_ _I'm not here anymore, Lily. Because of you," he said before disappearing._

 _"_ _Carlisle?! Carlisle!_ CARLISLE!" she screamed, waking herself and Charlie up. Both looked to each other sleepily before looking to the clock.

2:57 A.M.

Both scrambling up, Charlie ran up the stairs with Lily hot on his tail. Throwing Bella's door open, they looked on in horror as the bed lay empty.

"Bella?" they called out, checking the bathroom and even Charlie's room. But she was nowhere to be found. Lily found themselves in the kitchen, Charlie getting ready to organize a search party. Looking to the glass door, she noticed something she hadn't before. Bella's backpack was at the back door.

"Charlie! Her backpack, it's here," she yelled.

Charlie looked to where her backpack was before looking out the door. It was dark, rainy, and faced the ominous woods.

"No…" Charlie pleaded, running out the door. Immediately soaked, he looked out to the woods before finding some remnants of footprints. "BELLA!" he called out, hoping for a response.

When none came, his efforts to get people tripled. It wasn't long before a large crowd of friends and officers were gathered.

"I don't know why she's missing but it looks like she went into the woods and got lost. Stay in groups, stay together, and keep in communication. Keep warm, if you start to feel yourself get tired, come back to freshen up," Charlie told them, a bit frazzled but keeping himself in check. Bella needed him to be strong.

Lily was ready to join the search party when Charlie stopped her.

"I'd only be worried about you, too," he admitted. "Could you stay with my group?"

Lily nodded, wishing she could've used her powers. She wasn't quite sure how to, considering she could only phase through things. But maybe if she could sneak off, she could try flying? But looking at Charlie more, she realized that he needed her there to keep him a little sane.

Deciding to try something new, she decided to expend most of her energy in her senses. Although, yelling began to hurt a bit but she learned to tune them out after a bit.

Trudging in the darkness, feeling up to her knees in mud only for the rain to wash it away, they carried on. It was closer to the morning before Charlie's group had to retire.

Heading back to the Swan's, Lily was both shocked and relieved to see such a large turnout. Some women from La Push had taken to serving hot cocoa and food to those on relief.

"Thank you so much," Charlie told them, handing a cup of hot cocoa to Lily before taking one for himself.

"It's no trouble at all," one woman smiled. Lily was surprised by the large scars on her face, but the woman seemed to not notice them at all as she smiled sweetly. "Have you found anything?" she asked, her smile switching to a face of worry.

"'Fraid not," he frowned, huddling closer to the cup for heat. "Ah, Lily, this is Emily Young. Emily, this is Lily McCarty."

"Hello," Lily smiled.

"Hello," Emily smiled back easily. Lily could tell how sweet she was—Emily just seemed to radiate goodness.

Lily was just about to continue talking to Emily when they heard a yell.

"We found her!" someone called out.

* * *

 **A.N. So now we see the chips falling where they may. This is the last bit I had pre-written in my timeline for a long while so I struggled with it a bit. So these next few posts might be floundering.**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	36. Chapter 2-5B

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you JaelSarjenka and natsumi456 for the reviews! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing.**

 ***PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **BOOK TWO: CHAPTER FIVE B**

Seeing the unconscious form of her friend made Lily freeze with fear. Bella's thin body, limp in the man's arms feel like she'd been too late in trying to save Bella. What was the point of saving if she was already gone?

She stayed were she was while Charlie rushed forward to take her in his arms. He seemed to struggle a bit, to the point where the man almost offered to carry her inside himself, but even he could see Charlie's need to be there for her.

Charlie heading back indoors snapped her out of it enough for Lily to follow them inside. Immediately, Dr. Gerandy, a doctor from Forks Hospital, was checking up on Bella.

"Where is Carlisle?" Charlie ground out.

"You didn't know? They've moved, Carlisle got an offer that 'he just couldn't refuse'," Dr. Gerandy said simply. Lily bit her tongue from saying the real reason they left, especially since it sounded like the blame was falling onto Carlisle. "With some rest, blankets, and warm soup, she should be good as new in no time."

He left quietly, the rest of the search party dispersing as well.

"You knew?" Charlie frowned, looking at Lily suspiciously.

"I was coming to warn her," she looked away despondently. "I wanted to soften the blow, be here for her. And look what good it's done." Charlie realized she was just as hurt about the move.

"Why didn't you go?"

"I wanted to, considering I'm engaged—was engaged—to Carlisle. To be honest, it's all around a tricky situation. I couldn't leave Bella, and I still have school to finish. But I will say it wasn't Carlisle who chose to move. Edward and Bella had a bit of an argument and Edward couldn't just talk it out like any healthy relationship and has decided to take the coward's way out," she explained, her bitterness showing towards Edward. "Carlisle loves Edward enough to move their whole family away."

Charlie was quiet for a long moment, enough for Lily to start preparing some hot chicken noodle soup for when Bella woke up. But Bella didn't wake up until the following morning.

Lily had spent the night, wanting to be there for Bella when she woke.

The shrill rings of a phone slowly woke up Lily the next morning. But she really woke up when the phone dropped. She rushed to the kitchen to find Bella gripping the drawer desperately so as to not drop to the ground.

"Bella!" Lily gasped.

Bella swerved around, startled by her voice.

"Lily? Lily!" Bella beamed, wrapping her tightly in a hug. "I'm so glad to see you! When I answered the call that the Quileute Tribe is having a celebration in honor of the Cullen's departure, I almost believed it until I saw you. What has been going on?"

"Bella, I'm here alone," Lily said gently, pulling Bella away a bit to face her.

"A… alone…" Bella whispered, dread filling her once again. "But… but you and Carlisle?! You're going to get married! He wouldn't just… he couldn't…" she began to ramble.

"Bella, I had come to warn you of Edward's plan. It was completely selfish of him but everyone was behind his decision, besides myself. I couldn't leave you to suffer. I wanted to help," Lily frowned.

"And be a reminder of them?" Bella bit.

Her tone startled Lily.

"Excuse me?" Lily asked gently.

"I can't see you without seeing them and having hope that this isn't real. That they're still here… That… that Edward…" she choked up, unable to finish her sentence. Finishing the sentence would only make it more real. "They haven't left! It isn't true!" she screamed, rushing for her room. Lily followed her but didn't enter her room.

Bella scrambled wildly for any proof that Edward hadn't left:

Her CD of his lullaby—gone.

Her pictures of him—gone.

She crashed to the ground, not of another fainting spell but of pure suffocating grief. Hearing the crash, Lily entered her room and helped her into bed.

"Bella, we can get through this together. You don't have to be alone in this," Lily tried to comfort.

"Get out," Bella said quietly.

Lily tensed, a sudden chill seeming to take over her.

"Please don't do this," Lily pleaded.

"Get OUT!" Bella screamed, turning away from Lily. When Lily tried to place a comforting hand on her, Bella shrugged it off harshly.

"I get it. Lashing out like a frightened wounded animal. Not quite understanding that we are here to help you," Lily said softly, her throat thickening from her own despair coming through. "But I will always be here for you, unlike some."

She went down the stairs to find Charlie there at the bottom of the stairs.

"I heard screaming," he said worriedly.

"Bella… um," she struggled, biting back her own tears. "It hurts to see me, since I remind her of them. She wants space… I'll always be there for Bella, Charlie," she promised. She was surprised when she found herself in a warm hug.

"As you'll be there for Bells, I'll be here for you, too," he promised.

Finally letting go, she cried hard as she hugged onto Charlie tightly. It was one thing she truly mourned: she had no family to turn to. Her mother was no long there to comfort her with words and food, her father's protective arms out of reach.

So she cried and cried and cried. Until Bella started to scream and cry herself. Wincing as his arms released her back into the cold world too soon, she stepped away and smiled understandingly as she made her way to the door.

But each step made her ache for comfort.

Edward may have made everyone leave, but Bella made her feel truly alone.

* * *

 **A.N. Speaking of floundering, Lily is losing steam and quickly!** **I really struggled with getting this chapter long. So I've made Chapter 5 another two-parter.**

 ***I have to be out of town all weekend (which is when I normally have time to write) so next week's post might be on Tuesday or Wednesday.**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	37. Author's Note

**I'm so sorry to have to write this but I'm going to have to be on hiatus for an undetermined amount of time. I love hearing from you guys to continue the story so I wanted to let you in with what is going on.**

 **Firstly, I've been incredibly busy. I've been working more as well as a lot of family stuff popped up.**

 **Secondly, I've got a blank spot in my timeline that I've been trying to fill in for the past few weeks with no luck.**

 **Lastly, and the one that is effecting my writing the most, is my health. Physically and mentally I've been declining at increasingly alarming rates and it seems that any time I get a smidgen better I get pulled down even further.**

 **So I'm really taking the time to focus on getting better. I hate to let you all down. The guilt has weighed on me heavily. But I have to be honest with y'all.**

 **I really hope I'll be back in a month. For sure I will have a post on Tuesday, May 16, 2017. It's Mina's birthday, after all, and I can't miss that. If I start writing before that, it would be great but I really don't like to make promises only to break them.**

 **I hope all of you are doing well. I hope to see you soon.**

 **With my deepest apologies,**

 **Ellie T.**


	38. Chapter 2-6

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you Goldielover, DarkAngel2581, and Fairy Tail Master23 for the reviews! I do love to hear from you guys.**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

 ***UPDATE: I had to fix the date as well as some other continuity errors in this chapter***

* * *

 **BOOK TWO: CHAPTER SIX**

 **~Friday, December 16** **th** **, 2005: Forks, Washington~**

These few months had been hard for everyone.

For all anyone tried, Bella refused to live anymore. Anytime she saw Lily, she either shrieked in rage or wept bitterly. Or her new favorite, refused to acknowledge her very existence.

But to be honest, they seldom ran into each other now.

At first, Bella had tried to return to her 'normal' as best as she could. But Edward was not sloppy in removing every last bit of himself from Bella's world. So she shrunk in on herself, a husk of the girl that everyone had loved so dearly.

Lily was not one to back down, though.

Through tears of sadness or frustration, she made meals for Charlie to take to lunch or to have for dinner.

Through sleepless nights and busy days, she made sure to help Charlie with keeping the house clean and presentable.

She was on the verge of sinking herself but she'd be damned if she let that wonderful father go down in flames.

And her sweet Carlisle.

She finally bought a cell phone a few days after they found Bella. It was a cheap basic phone, but she was interested in the fact that it could connect her with Carlisle. But oh, how it was a painful discovery to find that hearing Carlisle's voice tugged at her heart painfully and she couldn't talk without weeping. Carlisle found it hard to stay in Alaska when he heard her cries, so they begrudgingly only communicated through letters.

They wrote to each other about everything: how their day went, what the weather was like, how much they loved the other. Lily took many pictures, some with herself and some of the outdoors, and would send them with notes about what had happened during the picture. This started with Carlisle and the others sending pictures or little knick knacks as well.

The rest of the Cullens (excluding Edward) kept in touch with Lily. More often than not, they emailed each other. Rosalie and Emmett had gone off for a few months to honeymoon but every now and then would join up with the others to hang out. If that happened, the girls would group call to gossip. They made sure Carlisle was at work or off so that the pull to go to each other wasn't strong. Jasper tended to have long conversations with Lily, especially concerning his guilt towards the separation. But it was quite clear where she stood about who was really to blame. And Emmett sent her silly videos of himself or others doing silly or outrageous things.

Even all this could not stop the loneliness that captured her heart.

School had been out for a while now, so now Lily had even less to distract herself with. The library was closed for the holidays and with the public schools now out, Lily couldn't go to Charlie without the fear of setting off Bella.

Also, they had been hit with some snowy weather and she hardly had the heart to go out herself.

It was a day like this that Lily gave in to the fatigue of her body and soul.

Her hair, grown out so that it was brown to her chin and then light auburn tips from where it had been dyed long ago, was lose curls to her shoulders. A tee shirt that used to fit snug on her body now hung loosely from her thin frame. Stress had taken its toll on Lily. She hardly ate and what little she did was tasteless and dull. And her favorite sweatpants needed the drawstring to hold them up. She was nearly a pile of bones, one that the hard work she did daily beat down upon easily. Like rough waves on a lone swimmer.

Curled up in a mountain of blankets on her couch, she popped in some Claymation Christmas movies, and became dead to the world herself.

The door knocked a few times, but she never heard them.

The door was opened, but she didn't respond.

A person took her, and she couldn't resist.

* * *

 **A.N. If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


	39. Chapter 2-7

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.**

 **Thank you JaelSarjenka, Goldielover, TUTTER, DarkAngel2581, and kitty-kasey for the reviews! I do love to hear from you guys.**

 **Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, as well as the Lord of the Rings and the music, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **BOOK TWO: CHAPTER SEVEN**

 **~Sunday, December 18** **th** **, 2005: Alaska~**

 _"_ _I can't believe she's ended up like this?!"_

 _"_ _Darling, she is his mate. The separation was killing them both. You saw how he is, just as disheveled and broken as she seems."_

 _"_ _She's smaller than I am at this point! And she won't be waking up for at least a few days. That's not healthy."_

 _"_ _We can only hope things will get better when we get her to our home."_

Lily lightly stirred, still half asleep but feeling more relaxed than she had in a long time. She had a faint memory of familiar voices, but she figured it was from a fading dream. Shifting slightly, she felt her hand graze something hard and she blinked, opening her eyes to find herself level to a dark polo shirt. Her eyes slowly lifted to find themselves leading up a slender pale neck and a crisp jaw, lovely lips and nose, until they hit dark eyes trained on her.

But they were eyes she had longed to see.

Her eyes went wide as the other's eyes seemed to sparkle. Immediately her eyes filled with tears that could not be held. Those dark eyes seemed to darken as they followed her tears that disappeared in her curls. But he grew curious as a smile began to form.

"Why are you crying and smiling, my love?"

"Because this is the best dream I've had in a long time," she said plainly. Her eyes really widened in shock when she was suddenly encased in strong arms.

"This is no dream, my love," he murmured into her hair. Her breathing hitched and she was overwhelmed in his sweet fragrance and presence. A dizziness seemed to want to bring her back to darkness when Carlisle's worried face seemed to appear.

"My love, you're so weak," he whispered sadly.

She rose a shaky hand to his cheek. Lily marveled at the sweet sensation that felt like fire set them aflame. She pulled him close and kissed him deeply. He seemed just as ravenous as he hovered over her, wanting to be consumed by her once more.

"I'm strong when I'm with you, darling," she cried happily once she pulled away.

His own smile seemed like it was permanently stuck on as he lay back down and pulled her close to himself.

"Today is a day just for us. No one is allowed to interrupt or steal you away," Carlisle said softly, playing with her crazy morning curls.

"Us?" she asked curiously.

"The others. Alice and Jasper picked you up from your apartment and you've been asleep since. We were getting worried since you were so thin but Alice promised you be awake soon. I'd feel much better once you have some nourishment in you," he added, gently scolding more towards the end. She could only blush sheepishly before going back to relaxing in his arms.

"I wasn't hungry with you away," she frowned. "And I was alone a lot of the time, so I had no one to really remind me."

"Well, I'm here now," he sighed, pulling her closer with a tight hold. Lily just smiled gently, relaxing even more in his arms.

But her stomach had other ideas as it growled loudly, making Lily blush deeply in embarrassment and Carlisle let out a loud booming laugh.

"I guess we've got to get you something to eat," he teased, tickling her tummy and sending her into a fit of giggles.

"Carlisle, stop!" she laughed, feeling wonderful and light with their playing. After swatting his hands away, she looked back at him with a mock-stern look. "If I eat, you need to eat too. As much as I love your eyes dark, I love them just as much when they're golden," she smirked, sticking her tongue out at him. He took the opportunity to grab her tongue lightly. "Nah coo," she pouted, making him laugh at her silliness.

Carlisle sighed, lifting her in his arms as he made his way to the kitchen.

"Alright, love, I'll go hunting. Alice is making you something to eat," he smiled weakly, a little hesitant to leave her now that she was actually here.

"I'll be fine, love. The sooner you hunt, the sooner you'll be back," she smiled softly, giggling when she noticed he disappeared as her words finished. No sooner was Carlisle gone that Alice appeared before her taking her into a tight hug.

"LILY! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" Alice beamed, twirling the taller woman a bit in happiness. Lily couldn't help but laugh in her happiness.

"I missed you, too, Alice," Lily smiled, returning the hug.

"Come on, I've got some lunch ready for you," Alice beamed, tugging the girl down the stairs. Lily didn't see much of the place before she found herself sitting at a small breakfast table near the kitchen. This house seemed much more rustic looking, dark or warm brown woods seemed to make most of the interior. The furniture was warm reds, greens, and blues that made her feel like she was in a large mansion.

Her lunch seemed to be some spaghetti with meatballs, garlic bread, and some water. She tucked in quickly, not realizing how hungry she really was. Once she was done, Jasper came in with a plate of New York style cheesecake.

"Jasper!" she beamed, completely disregarding the cheesecake as she tackled him into a hug. Jasper laughed, taking in her happiness to see him, and lightly twirled her a bit as he caught her.

"Hey, mom," he whispered, hugging her gingerly. "I'm so glad to see ya."

"It's wonderful to see you, too," she smiled warmly. "And with cheesecake, no less," she teased. He mock-glared at her, moving to take it away when she swiped it from him and turned invisible.

"No fair!" he laughed, leaving to sit on the couch in the living room. He knew her well enough to know she loved to eat dessert sitting comfortably on the couch. Sure enough, a moment after he sat down, she appeared sitting crisscross-apple-sauce with a bit of the cheesecake already eaten. Laughing, he ruffled up her hair before relaxing in his seat.

They merely basked in each other's presence, each happy to be around each other again. But Jasper was surprised when he felt a wave of pain coming from Lily. Looking towards her, he found that she had stood and her eyes were trained on an object on the fireplace mantle. She smiled, surprised to find it a beautiful silver snow globe. On the inside was a picture that she could never forget: Carlisle was looking on lovingly to Lily, a large smile on his face as Lily was giggling and looking at him with the same large smile.

"Carlisle and Lily for all time," she murmured softly, remarking the cursive phrase engraved ever so beautifully.

"Carlisle couldn't bear to have it hidden, no matter how much he missed you," Jasper commented softly. "He'd pass by it every so often, just to look at it and remember you."

"Carlisle is stronger than me," Lily admitted softly. "Just saying his name would send me into a wave of pain."

"I know," he frowned. "'And though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.'"

"Fair use of 'The Lord of the Rings,'" she teased. "But it rings true," she sighed, knowing that without this pain, she wouldn't know how strong her love for Carlisle was. "I only wish that Edward hadn't just gone off like that. Bella wouldn't accept my help because I reminded her too much of him."

"We can only hope that things will turn out right," Alice said, bounding in to join the two. "By the way, I wanted to say that Carlisle nearly destroyed Edward when he found out that Edward had manhandled you so roughly. I nearly got to him myself but it wasn't my place," Alice frowned, remembering the vision of Lily's body disoriented and weak after she slammed into the wall.

"I hoped you'd be able to see that I hadn't meant to trick or betray Carlisle, since he destroyed my phone," Lily frowned. "He actually terrified me, as much as I loathe to admit it about someone I care about."

"Well, he's gone at the moment. Let's enjoy this Christmas holiday," Alice smiled, leading her back to the room she had woken up in. She was led to the bathroom, surprised to find that the countertop was full of all different kinds of hair dye. There was also a chair set up in the middle.

"I figured you'd want to freshen up and feel good. Choose any colour you'd like and I'll get started," Alice smiled. Unable to keep the excited smile off of her face, she looked at all the colours. They were ranged like a rainbow (at least the unnatural colours were), then from blonds to gingers to brunettes and blacks. After a little consideration, she showed Alice her selection who got straight to work.

After hours of laboring over Lily's hair, it was finally time to wash the dyes out.

"Take a nice long shower and I left some pajamas on the sink. You and Carlisle won't be bothered for the next few days," she winked, leaving the room.

Lily pondered about what the wink was for as she made her way to the shower. It felt glorious to have the soothing warm water wash away the icky-ness of the past few months, as well as the strong-smelling hair dyes Alice used. She was excited to see how it would turn out once it was dried.

Stepping out of the shower, she started to work on her hair. Since Alice layered it slightly, her curls were more pronounced once she ruffled her wet hair a bit and reached her shoulders. Her hair was now a dark black colour, the bottom fading into a dark blue that was a bit lighter than navy blue. When it was wet, you couldn't tell that there was blue since it looked dark.

Feeling quite pleased with how her hair turned out, she smirked at finding her pajamas the same shade of blue. It was a lovely blue silk nightgown with black lace around the edges. She found a black robe with black lace besides it and some matching undergarments.

Stepping out of the bathroom, she was surprised to find Carlisle already in the room. He was in dark navy blue silk pajama bottoms and a plain white tee. Smiling softly at the image, she joined him in bed. She was surprised that his eyes seemed to darken, even though she had seen them a sparkling gold only moments before.

"Carlisle?" she asked him, curious. But any further questions were forgotten as he took her into a deep kiss. Her hands immediately found themselves in Carlisle's hair, missing the feel of him surrounding her. Feeling overwhelmed by him, she pulled him as close to her as she could, shivering from the lingering pain of being apart.

"I love you, my darling. I'm so sorry," he murmured softly, having caught on to her pain and the reason behind it. "Never again," he whispered, kissing her temple softly as her tears escaped her dark eyes. "I hate for you to be in this much pain."

"I missed you so much, I was so alone," she whimpered. She froze as she heard a familiar music box tune started to play. Carlisle had brought their snow globe up to the room.

" _Wise men say only fools rush in. But I can't help falling in love with you. Shall I say 'would it be a sin if I can't help falling in love with you?' Like a river flows to the sea, so it goes, some things are meant to be,"_ Carlisle sang softly.

" _Take my hand; take my whole life too. For I can't help falling in love with you_ ," Lily joined in, a tearful smile at their song. It was like they were never apart.

" _I can't help falling in love with you_ ," they finished together. Lily felt herself slipping into a comfortable darkness.

"You won't leave me?" she asked softly, a childish fear revealing itself in her voice.

"Never," Carlisle promised, keeping her in his arms as they lay together in his bed.

"Never, never," she giggled softly, finally giving in to sleep.

* * *

 **A.N. When I thought I was getting better, I really wasn't. I'm coming to terms with my new normal. I didn't want to give up with this story and decided not to worry as much with what goes where and am just gonna start writing again. I'm going to try to get back on schedule with updates of once-a-week but now I'm full time working at a school. Thank you for all the well-wishes and encouragement to continue the story! It really helped keep me afloat. :)**

 **If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Ellie T.**


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